08/25/2025
Join the Unity Community Center for a free movie event on September 1st!
Plan on joining us next Monday evening!
Released in 2021, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a powerful documentary that serves as both a musical time capsule and a critical piece of American history. Directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the film centers on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a series of free concerts held in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) that featured a star-studded lineup of Black artists.
The documentary's core is the long-lost, never-before-seen footage of the festival, which sat in a basement for 50 years. While the Woodstock festival, held just 100 miles away that same summer, became a cultural touchstone, the Harlem Cultural Festival—despite drawing a massive audience of over 300,000 people—was largely forgotten by mainstream media. Summer of Soul not only celebrates the incredible musical performances by legends like Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Sly & the Family Stone, but also explores why this significant event was erased from the historical record. The film powerfully illustrates the intersection of music, culture, and political activism during a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slFiJpAxZyQ
