Doors at 6:00 | Show at 6:30
All ages welcome.
Free parking is available in the lot across the street until full.
Join Word is Bond for the second screening of The Black Stars! The groundbreaking debut documentary from Word is Bond in collaboration with Pink Beanie Productions.
Back by popular demand, our second screening is a celebration of the North and NE Portland, and will take place at Alberta Abbey, the premiere visual and performance arts space nestled between the Alberta and Albina neighborhoods.
Sebe Kan Dance Troupe and YunginCED join us for an encore of our sold-out premiere!
Following the film will be a special panel discussion of “The Future of Black Portland” featuring youth and community leaders.
The Future of Black Portland Panelists:
Twixx Williams, Pink Beanie Productions
Arieanna Morehead, Capital City Volunteers
Shaina Pomerantz, Race Talks
JT Flowers, Albina Vision Trust
Film Synopsis:
The Black Stars, from the Rose City to the Gold Coast, is the coming-of-age story of eight young Black men from Portland, OR, who travel to Ghana for a two-week leadership expedition led by the non-profit, Word is Bond, to reconnect with their ancestral roots for the very first time.
The young men travel across the West African nation, touring historical sites of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, meeting with ministers of the Ghanaian government, visiting students in urban and rural communities, and immersing themselves in local culture.
While part of a team that must work together to achieve their goals, each ambassador of the expedition has their own narrative, unique challenges, and dreams for their future that are revealed throughout the film.Black men are among the most misunderstood figures in modern society.
The documentary sheds light on the experiences of young Black men growing up in the Pacific Northwest as well as the importance of returning to Africa as a means of reconciling the complex nuances of the African American experience. It is a journey of hope, leadership, and brotherhood that invites viewers to find out what it means to be a Black star.
