WHAT: During the months of October and November, four screenings of the new documentary Woke Up Black will be held at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Roosevelt University, and the University of Chicago.

Directed by Mary F. Morten, Woke Up Black tells the stories of five diverse African American youth from the Chicago area, representing a rich array of backgrounds, experiences, and sexualities. The cast includes Rosalee, who was raised by her aunt and uncle and is about to become the first in her family to attend college; Carter, a football captain who was adopted by two gay men when he was 10; Ansheera, a self-identified genderqueer youth who has struggled to gain acceptance from her family and who has become an activist in response; Morgan, a middle-class suburban college student whose parents have both attained success in white-collar jobs; and Sheldon, an organizer at a South Side community organization who was incarcerated at age 17, and is attending college part-time while working to get his record expunged.

Despite the fact that African American youth are disproportionately impacted by a number of key hot-button political issues – the incarceration of African Americans, affirmative action, debates over HIV testing, sex education, initiatives to tie means-tested resources to family structure and marriage, and more – their voices have largely been absent from all of these debates. This documentary aims to fill that void, as these five youth speak out on all these potentially life-changing issues and more.

Additional information, including clips and a trailer, is available on the film’s website at www.wokeupblack.com.

WHEN/WHERE:

University of Illinois — Chicago

October 5

7-9 p.m.

James Stukel Tower Auditorium

718 W. Rochford Street

Chicago, Ill

University of Illinois — Chicago

October 6

2 — 5 p.m.

Rafael-Cintr “n Ortiz Latino Cultural Center

803 S. Morgan

Lecture Center B2

Chicago, Ill.

Roosevelt University

October 26

5:30 p.m.

Ganz Hall

430 S. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, Ill.

University of Chicago

November 2

6 p.m.

Office of Multicultural Student Affairs

5710 S. Woodlawn

Chicago, Ill.