FEATURE: The Memphis 13
"The Memphis 13: First graders made history 50 years ago integrating Memphis schools."*
The students attended the following schools: Bruce Elementary (Dwania Kyles, Harry Williams, Michael Willis); Gordon Elementary (Alvin Freeman, Sharon Malone, Sheila Malone, Pamela Mayes); Rozelle Elementary (Joyce Bell, E.C. Freeman, Leandrew Wiggins, Clarence Williams); Springdale Elementary (Deborah Ann Holt; Jacqueline Moore). *The Commercial Appeal
Additional support for the film was provided by:
The Memphis 13
The Smallest Pioneers of Civil Rights...
In October 1961, 13 African American first graders took courageous steps to enter four formerly all-white elementary schools and break the practices of segregation in the Memphis City Schools. A half-century later, the stories of these pioneering children form the foundation of the documentary, The Memphis 13. The film, which was initiated thanks to a faculty research grant from the Hooks Institute, features interviews with all 13 pioneering families, as well as with white students, a teacher, and local civil rights leaders.
The Memphis 13 is written and directed by the University of Memphis law professor Daniel Kiel, and produced by filmmakers Jane Folk and David Kiern. Mayor A.C. Wharton served as the film's narrator.
​
For more information, visit: