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KANSAN.COM
ARTS & CULTURE
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STUDY ABROAD FAIR
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
10:30 AM - 3:30 PM
4TH FLOOR
KANSAS UNION
their grandparents' Pennsylva- not to leave their room afte
ingly unsettling experiences
deck where they were playing hide and seek.
dorky freestyle rhymes and several severely obnoxious
Two out of four stars.
WILLMOTT FROM
many in '44."
After visiting several neighborhoods in Chicago, Willmott said he realized that more development in these neighborhoods would lead to less violence.
"America has a huge problem not investing in black neighborhoods," he said. "If that [investment] would happen, I think you would see a big turnaround with this kind of stuff."
After he earned his bachelor's
degree in drama from Marymount College in Salina, he participated in activism work. He was a crucial part to the integration of the Junction City Fire Department in the 1970s, which had never had a black firefighter before Willmott and his colleagues launched a protest.
"Chiraq" is a step toward a different kind of activism. The film's title is a nickname for Chicago, which is alludes to its high murder rate.
When Lee announced in April that the film would be shot in Chicago, residents and
"You knew you were black, but Dr. King's assassination really taught me that being black had social and political ramifications"
KEVIN WILLMOTT KU Professor and Filmmaker
even the Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel thought the film would exploit the problem, but Willmott said that was not the
"I think the mayor and people in Chicago thought this as another '90s gang movie with a lot of violence, so I think they'll be pleasantly surprised when they see the film that it's got a really positive message." Willmott said.
case.
Wilmott remembers one incident in particular as a catalyst for his future interest in race relations and productions, like "Chiraq" exploring the issue.
On April 4, 1968, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, a 10-year-old Willmill sat in front of the
television in his family's living room in Junction City.
The day after the assassination, Willmott eagerly raised his hand in class to discuss it. His teacher replied, "We won't be talking about that."
"That's really when I understood that I was black in a political or social way," Willmott said. "You knew you were black, but Dr. King's assassination really taught me that being black had social and political ramifications."
With "Chiraq," Wilmott hopes to address these issues and, hopefully, reduce them.
but he admits the American society has a long way to go in regards to racism.
"It will always probably be a problem," he said. "It's not very optimistic sounding but because of human nature, you always have to be willing to combat it, fight against it. It's always going to be a problem."
— Edited by Emma LeGault
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