MEET MARY PLEASANT (Mother of Civil Rights) is a one-hour unique 'performance documentary'. For example, Mama Lola, not included in the program, gives insights on her faith. The film is a colorful look at the unsung and daring 19th-century African-American activist/entrepreneur Mary Ellen Pleasant, now called 'The Mother of Civil Rights in CA.' Pleasant was a 19th-century Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks combined, and she changed modern day civil rights law.
This film interweaves an acclaimed one-woman enactment with beautiful photo montages and expert commentary punctuated by live re-enactments and song. Award-winning Ruby Dee narrates. It's entertaining history for the entire family. This has proved a winning combination -- The film has won both national and international film festival awards (see listing below)
Pleasant is the hidden person behind many key aspects of our 19th century American history as well -- slavery, abolition, the gold rush, John Brown, early civil rights, reconstruction, so the story is a sweeping saga. Pleasant could love across boundaries of race and class without losing sight of her goal of equality for herself and her people, so hers is a healing and inspiring story for us all -- an American story. It's worth meeting Mary Pleasant
Meet Mary Pleasant is a 2010 documentary with a runtime of 56 minutes.
