Many Fires This Time: We the 100 Million
Saturday, April 24
2 pm PT / 5 pm ET
In collaboration with A Scribe Called Quess?, a celebrated artist and activist, PolicyLink is excited to announce the feature film debut: "Many Fires This Time: We the 100 Million.”
Join us for our premiere screening event on Saturday, April 24 at 2 pm PT / 5 pm ET. As part of National Poetry Month, the screening will be paired with thoughtful conversation and a presentation from featured artists as well as a DJ dance party.
Born from an intentional creative and cultural process, the film “Many Fires” blends spoken word poetry with documentary. As a poetic docudrama focused on the 100 million people in America living in or near poverty, the film documents the journey of A Scribe Called Quess? as he connects with fellow activist poets and the communities they represent. From Oakland to Chicago to Kentucky to New Orleans, the film, directed by Jason R.A. Foster, features a broad array of captivating poetry performances from Tongo Eisen-Martin, Kendria “K-Love” Harris, Misty Skaggs, Diana Cervera, Marvin White, and Quess?; not to mention a dynamic score by musician free feral and transformative movement from choreographer Jeremy Guyton. We hope that this film serves as a catalyst for policy change and can ensure that all people, especially people of color, can be economically
secure, live in healthy communities of opportunity, and benefit from a just society.
This film was created with funding from a Hewlett Foundation 50 Arts Commission and funding from The Kresge Foundation.
In Spring 2019, PolicyLink launched “We, the 100 Million,” an equity research project and national tour that highlighted the 100 million people across the country — nearly a third of the nation — living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. PolicyLink believes that integrating arts and cultural strategies across our work is essential to unlocking the power and imagination of communities to forge their own paths to justice and liberation. “We, the 100 Million,” supported with data from the National Equity Atlas, created a platform for us to tell the
stories of people impacted by racial and economic inequities in this country.