University Calendar

"The Birth of a Nation"

Who is Nate Parker?

Nate Parker is an African American actor, writer, and musical performer. He has had roles in over a dozen movies including: "Beyond the Lights", "The Secret Lives of Bees", "Red Tails", and "The Great Debaters". In 2016 Nate Parker stared in and directed his first feature film, "The Birth of a Nation," which is based on the Nat Turner Rebellion in 1831.

The film was featured at the Sundance Film Festival where it set a record for securing distribution rights ($17.5 million). "The Birth of a Nation" received significant media attention and Parker was in early conversations for Academy Awards. However, with the publicity came greater scrutiny of his life and past. Parker, along with a classmate, was involved in 1999 rape case during his undergraduate tenure at Penn State University. His accuser committed suicide in 2012, and that fact added to the ensuing controversy. Protests against Parker and the film developed and the buzz surrounding the film disappeared. "The Birth of a Nation" was released and then subsequently attacked by historians for inconsistencies.

Rather then letting what might be an important film die, we are presenting segments of the film and offering historical commentary.

Join us for a discussion of Nat Turner, Nate Parker, and "The Birth of a Nation."

• Thursday Feb. 16th
• 4:00pm
• Dickson Hall, Cohen Lounge

This event is being sponsored by: Agenda for Education in a Democracy and the Department of History