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| Cityhood |
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The
late East Palo Alto community activist Ed Becks made this comment
about cityhood once in an interview:
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“The idea of having a city is like the idea of having
a child that’s going to grow to adulthood. People have to
govern themselves. No matter how poorly they do it, now matter how
brilliantly they do it, self-governance has to ultimately be achieved."
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The
Festival celebrates the 20th anniversary of East Palo Alto becoming
a city. But the Opening Night ceremony on this program reflects
on the decision itself, the will to do so and the commitment to
bring it to reality. There will be a brief ceremony of acknowledgements
and then there will be a film on the incorporation movement itself,
a brief program called "Memories of Incorporation" about
those who played a role in incorporating the City, and finally the
world premiere of "Model for Humanity: Omowale Satterwhite,"
to honor the man who provided the strategy, leadership and technical
support that made incorporation succeed this time after numerous
previous efforts had failed.
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| Program
and Ceremony |
| Welcome
by William Byron Webster, Festival Director and Video
Subcommittee Chair.
Comments by
Mayor Patricia Foster.
Acknowledgement
of Rick Walker as festival guest of honor.
Comments by
Mr. Walker.
Mr.
Chris Andrews introduces Festival Speaker Leila
Steinberg.
Ms. Steinberg will receive
the Carmaleit Oakes Award of the East Palo Alto Twentieth Anniversary
Film Festival in honor of her work over the decades in bringing
out the intellectual and artistic potential of disadvantaged youth.
(Carmaleit Oakes was the Convener of the East Palo Alto Citizens
Committee on Incorporation (EPACCI) that fought successfully for
incorporation between 1980 and 1983).
Ms. Steinberg
reads poems by Tupac Shakur whom she mentored and
managed.
Introduction
of Jesse Norfleet, editor of “Memories of
Incorporation” and Patty Jensen, editor of
“Model for Humanity: Omowale Satterwhite.
First
Mayor Barbara Mouton introduces Dr. Omowale Satterwhite.
Dr.
Satterwhite receives a plaque inscribed with extracts from a Proclamation
in the Name of Humanity, honoring him for his achievements on behalf
of humanity. |
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| East
Palo Alto: Starting a New Age (1981) |
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Incorporation
architect Omowale Satterwhite gives a speech that pulses with the
passion and optimism of the incorporation movement in this rarely
seen film. This is the only one we know of about the East Palo Alto
incorporation movement, and shows it from the inside as well. The
backbone of the film is a we-can-do-it speech by. In retrospect,
it also reveals how much harder the ascent to an economically sustainable
cityhood would be than anticipated. Two decades later the vision
of self-sufficiency is finally being realized. Directed by Sylvie
Cohen in the Stanford Documentary Film Program.
Producer:
Sylvie Cohen
Running Time: 7 Minutes
Source / Filmmaker
Bios |
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| Memories
of Incorporation (2003) |
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Interviews
from the ongoing East Palo Alto Founders Twentieth Anniversary Project.
Incorporation activists, including current Mayor Patricia Foster,
former school board member and councilman Ruben Abrica, and others,
share the motivations for becoming involved in what might have seemed
at the time an unlikely cause. The final program will be the document
of record on the incorporation effort, giving voice to both advocates
and opponents. Ultimately the vote to incorporate went all the way
to the Supreme Court before it was resolved in favor of cityhood
a full three years after the 1983 election. Omowale Satterwhite
appears here as well to draw the simple but powerful lesson for
today: democracy can work; a small but committed group that stays
unified, sticks to principles and doesn’t give up can succeed.
Produced by William Byron Webster for FreedomArts, edited by Jesse
Norfleet. World Premiere
Producer:
William Webster
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Source / Filmmaker
Bios |
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Model
for Humanity:Omowale
Satterwhite (2003)
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"Model
for Humanity: Omowale Satterwhite" is a two part video exploring
the change and growth brought about by Dr. Satterwhite through the
reflections of those who worked with and were inspired by him. There
had been previous attempts at incorporation going back to the 1920s.
None succeeded. Through the leadership, support and technical assistance
of Dr. Satterwhite, the residents who made up the East Palo Alto
Citizens Committee on Incorporation (EPACCI), in league with the
East Palo Alto Council of Tenants (EPACT), created the City of East
Palo Alto in 1983 with concurrent strong rent control.
Part 1, ”Voices
of Praise," consists of a proclamation on Dr. Satterwhite’s
achievements supported by testimonies of a dozen activists illustrating
each clause, and a conclusion by poetess Kalamu Chaché. Part
2, “Prophet of Tomorrow,” consists of reflections taped
later that form more of a historical narrative. Produced by William
Byron Webster for FreedomArts with editing by Patty Jensen and musical
collages by Tom Sagehorn. World Premiere
Producer:
William Webster
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Source / Filmmaker
Bios
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