A sneak preview of a documentary produced on the civil rights movement in Mississippi during the1960s, in particular the summer of 1964, will be offered to students and the public tonight. The SIUC documentary, will be shown in February on PBS.

The hour-long documentary, Mississippi, America focuses on the Freedom Summer of 1964, a project to advance the state of Mississippi.

It was an effort by civil rights movement activists to focus on Mississippi in terms of voter registration, advancing educational opportunities and promoting other civil rights activities Julius Thompson, assistant professor of Black American Studies said.

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The documentary was written, directed and produced by Judith McCray, an Emmy-award winning producer and assistant professor in the radio-television department at SIUC.

Mississippi was viewed during the movement as one of the most oppressive of the American states for black Americans, and thus an emphasis was placed on breaking the back of segregation in Mississippi, Thompson said.

Mississippi, America,’ offers the contemporary American public a glimpse into one of the most important eras in modern American history – the civil rights movement in Mississippi during the critical year of 1964, he said.

The Mississippi Summer Project remains one of the turning points in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, and professor McCray’s documentary offers the public a rich perspective on the role of American lawyers who served in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964, Thompson said.

McCray said she was happy have the opportunity to develop the documentary. She said she was amazed that America during the 1960s had not heard of the turmoil occurring in Mississippi.

McCray said the documentary was completed after a long, intense 15 months. The documentary is narrated by actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

The film focuses on the lawyers involved in the fight to gain the right to vote for black Americans. It also shows the victories which occurred in Mississippi during the 1960s that helped the advancement for black Americans in the state, McCray said.

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Following the screening, a panel discussion will occur. The panel will consist of McCray, Thompson and Michael Starr, chairman of the radio-television department at SIUC.

The free screening will be at 7 p.m. tonight in the Student Center Auditorium.