The Public History Initiative Presents:

A screening of Matthieu Verdeil’s new film: Claude McKay: the Wanderings of a Rebellious Poet. The documentary is about 50 minutes long and retraces the life of Claude McKay, a Jamaican poet of the Harlem Renaissance, who traveled the world during the interwar period. From New York literary circles to the Parisian intelligentsia, from Bolshevik power circles to the underbelly of the port of Marseille, McKay forged connections with some of the greatest names of his time, from Charlie Chaplin to W.E.B. Du Bois, Trotsky, and Fitzgerald, while also fraternizing with sailors and drifters from across the Black diaspora. His powerful poem, "If We Must Die," written a century ago against lynchings, still resonates today with the same urgency as one of the slogans of Black Lives Matter. Narrated by Gaël Faye, who brings Claude McKay's vibrant voice to life, the documentary allows us to rediscover some of McKay’s greatest works: Banjo, Romance in Marseille, A Long Way from Home, as well as new archival footage. It is an odyssey through the history of the early 20th century.

After the screening, Matthieu Verdeil will give a short presentation and a Q & A.

*co-sponsored by the American Studies Program, French Studies Program, Media Studies, and Africana Studies*