Old Salem Museums & Gardens to Present the Film The Loving Story

"WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (APRIL 6, 2015)—As the final screening in the Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle series, Old Salem Museums & Gardens is presenting excerpts from The Loving Story on Wednesday, April 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the James A. Gray, Jr. Auditorium in the Old Salem Visitor Center. The screening is being presented in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the ending of slavery, which was announced to the enslaved community in and around the town of Salem on Sunday, May 21, 1865, in St. Philips African Moravian Church in what is now Old Salem.

Short excerpts from The Loving Story will be shown followed by a discussion with Susie Powell, co-author of this award-winning film. She will talk about what inspired her to write about Richard and Mildred Loving, the interracial couple who lived in Virginia in the 1950s and were subsequently arrested for getting married. The Loving Story was nominated for an Emmy in 2013. 

The program is free and open to the public, although registration is required. To register, please call 1-800-441-5305. School groups are asked to register at least 7 days in advance. Reservations are preferred for individuals, although an individual may attend without a reservation if space permits. Light lunch is included or you may bring your own. Additional portions of The Loving Story may be viewed prior to the program on the Created Equal website createdequal.neh.gov.

Old Salem is one of 473 institutions across the country awarded the opportunity to show the Created Equal film series, which chronicles the history of the civil rights movement and marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington. The powerful documentaries, Freedom Riders, Slavery by Another Name, The Abolitionists, and The Loving Story, include dramatic scenes of incidents in the 150-year effort to achieve equal rights for all. Each of the films was produced with NEH support, and each tells remarkable stories of individuals who challenged the social and legal status quo of deeply rooted institutions, from slavery to segregation. Visit neh.gov/created-equal for more information. 

The Created Equal film set is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

About Old Salem Museums & Gardens
Old Salem Museums & Gardens is one of America’s most comprehensive history attractions.  Its museums—the Historic Town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), and the Gardens at Old Salem—engage visitors in an educational and memorable historical experience about those who lived and worked in the early South.  Old Salem Museums & Gardens is located at 900 Old Salem Road in Winston-Salem.  For more information, call 336-721-7300 or visit oldsalem.org.

About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Founded in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in the teaching and learning of American history. Programs include publications, teacher seminars, a national Affiliate School Program, traveling exhibitions, and online materials for teachers, students, and the general public. gilderlehrman.org.

About the National Endowment for the Humanities

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, museum exhibitions, and programs in libraries and other community places. neh.gov."

- A Press Release

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