I’m proud to report that the Civic Media Center has organized a screening of Eyes on the Prize here in Gainesville. It’s this Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the CMC, 1021 W. University Ave. It’s free. The episodes shown will be “The Time Has Come,” about Malcolm X and the March Against Fear, and “Two Societies,” about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the riots in Detriot. Call the CMC at (352) 373-0010 for more information.

I’ll give a brief introduction to the licensing dispute over the film before the screening. For the background, see my Feb. 9 column in the Alligator or Downhill Battle’s Eyes on the Screen Web site. This Washington Post article from Martin Luther King Day, “A Struggle for Rights”, tells the story rather well.

Widely considered the best documentary series on the Civil Rights Movement, Eyes has fallen victim to copyright licensing disputes over archival footage shown in the film. It can’t be re-released, publicly shown or broadcast. Individuals with access to the original tapes can still watch them personally, but the original VHS copies are dwindling.

Activist group Downhill Battle, with whom FreeCulture.org has worked in the past, launched their “Eyes on the Screen” project to encourage community screenings of the films as part of Black History Month. Over 100 screenings have taken place around the world, including one organized by the Free Culture group at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

As far as I’m aware, this will be the first “Eyes on the Screen” screening in the state of Florida. I hope you’ll come out to the CMC on Tuesday and share in the viewing of these films.

A press release is available for members of the media.