SAN ANTONIO — A months-long effort by the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) to educate and entertain families about Black stories, with Alamo City ties, continues Friday evening with a screening of “The 24th,” a 2020 Hollywood drama about dozens of Black soldiers who mutinied against abuse and racism in the early 1900s.
The screening is the latest in SAAACAM’s Black History Film Series, and will be followed up by a panel featuring writer-director Kevin Willmott, whose 2018 collaboration with Spike Lee “BlacKkKlansman” won him an Academy Award.
The Black History Film Series was born out of the nonprofit organization’s desire to continue its educational efforts while prioritizing safety during the coronavirus pandemic, says Program Director Heather Williams. It found the perfect venue in the spacious Arneson River Theatre, large enough to accommodate social distancing while bringing families to La Villita, where SAAACAM is headquartered.
“Because of COVID, we were trying to contemplate different methods to bring historical information out to the public that impacted San Antonio and the region,” Williams said. “We knew that everything either needed to be virtual or in an outdoor setting where people could receive information in a safe environment.”
SAAACAM’s mission is to “collect, preserve and share the cultural heritage of African Americans in the San Antonio region,” and the movies the organization curated for its Black History Film Series all take varying levels of influence from Black history in central and south Texas—even “42,” chronicling Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the Major League Baseball color barrier, is implicitly textured with the baseball legend’s Alamo City-specific impact, Williams says.
“The relevance there is that back in the day when the lunch counters were being integrated, Jackie Robinson found out about the impact that was being made here in San Antonio,” she said. “He, having the platform that he had, decided to basically chime in and say, ‘This is a story that needs to be told around the world.’ So that’s the tie-in that we appreciate having.”
The local connection is even stronger when it comes to the story of “The 24th.” Following the mutiny of 156 members of the all-Black 24th Infantry amid racial discrimination from Houston police, an ensuing trial unfolded at Fort Sam Houston. More than a dozen were found convicted and subsequently hung in San Antonio.
Keeping in line with SAAACAM’s mission of unearthing San Antonio’s place in African American history, Williams pointed out how those men were then buried in unmarked graves near the fort.
“These are things people don’t even know about,” she said. “This is the largest murder trial in history.”
Friday evening’s screening begins at at 8:30 p.m. and is free to the public, but SAAACAM is asking visitors to reserve their seat ahead of time via its website.
Williams says the Black History Film Series program, which will conclude with movies in October and November, has been such a success that SAAACAM is already well into preparations for round two in 2022. SAAACAM expects it to begin in March, and has already secured Hemisfair Park as the venue for a new slate of film screenings to continue furthering the conversation—and to create new ones about Black stories as they continue to unfold in San Antonio.
“One of the things I don’t think a lot of people are aware of is that we’re making history in our everyday lives now,” Williams said. “So 50 years down the road, we’ve made sure to capture it and document it so people who follow in our path will know these are the things that happened.”
For more upcoming events from SAAACAM, click here.