Charlottesville: A Documentary

The Community Idea Stations’ new documentary “Charlottesville” explores the events that led to the tragedies of August 11 and 12, 2017, and grapples with the difficult question of how such acts could have occurred in modern America.

When to Watch:
November 20: Premieres on WCVE PBS, WHTJ PBS and WVPT PBS at 9:00 p.m. Check listings for additional air times.

About The Film
“Charlottesville” is the latest film in a long-standing partnership between Community Idea Stations and University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

“This isn’t just a film about a terrible event in one small college town,” says Larry Sabato, Founder and Director of the Univ. of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “What happened in Charlottesville in August 2017 is a national disgrace, and the nation as a whole needs to confront a cancer growing on our Republic. The film ‘Charlottesville’ shows us what can happen anywhere in America if we don’t confront this era’s menacing malignancy of racial and religious hatred.”

Through the use of first-hand accounts, “Charlottesville” offers local insight and perspective on the events that garnered national and international attention, prompting us to ask questions about who we are as a people, what we can learn from this experience, and how we can come together as a country.

Director Paul Roberts says including stories from people who were actually at the event was of the utmost importance.

“Early in the filmmaking process, it was decided to seek people to interview who were at ground zero -- at the UVA torch rally, at the street fights in and around Emancipation Park, at the car attack on Fourth and Water Streets,” says Roberts. “Some interviewees were not present during these events, but were asked to participate because of their unique knowledge of the situation.”

Community Idea Stations’ Vice President and General Manager of Television John Felton says they decided to tackle this story because it took place in their backyard.

“Due to the local origination of the Charlottesville protest and subsequent violence centering around the event, we felt it was our obligation to tell this story from a local perspective,” says Felton.

He adds partnering with the Univ. of Virginia Center for Politics was important for telling this story.

“While the Community Idea Stations has the expertise and track record for producing award-winning national public television documentaries, the UVA Center for Politics provides the academic background and research to support these films,” says Felton. “Standing alone, neither partner would have been able to create the Charlottesville documentary.”

“Charlottesville” premieres at Virginia Film Festival November 3, followed by a speech by Martin Luther King III and discussion moderated by Larry Sabato of the Univ. of Virginia Center for Politics.

Watch the local premiere of “Charlottesville” November 20 at 9:00 p.m. on WCVE PBS, WVPT PBS, and WHTJ PBS.

Community Resources: Charlottesville | Harrisonburg | Richmond
There are many resources in our community that help us to learn about the issues surrounding the debate about the Monuments and understand each other better. The resources below will help us to be better informed, to come together and combat hate in our community. If you know of a resource that could be helpful to people watching the Charlottesville documentary, please contact [email protected].

The Heaphy Report was one of the primary guiding documents in the production of this film. You can read the entire report here.

Charlottesville

• #ResilientCville – Collection of resources including news updates and an event calendar highlighting activities being held by a variety of community groups. Engages and updates community members in the recovery process and to shares the significant training and planning undertaken as a City.
• Charlottesville Area Community Foundation: "Heal Charlottesville Fund" – The Heal Charlottesville Fund was founded in response to the white supremacist attacks in Charlottesville in August of 2017.
• City of Charlottesville: Office of Human Rights – Serves as a forum for the discussion of human rights issues in the City of Charlottesville. Responsible for conducting ongoing efforts to engage community members in an open, honest and creative dialogue regarding issues of equity and opportunity.
• Charlottesville to Jamestown – Sponsored by the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, the Charlottesville to Jamestown pilgrimage provides a constructive opportunity to take the next step in addressing racism in America and its attending systemic injustices.
• Common Ground Healing Arts: "C-ville Wellness Fund – The C-ville Wellness Fund is available at Common Ground for People of Color seeking relief from race-based trauma and/or anyone affected by the weekend of August 11th and 12th, 2017. The fund ensures trauma-relieving services are affordable to individuals who need them as a part of their healing process.
• Heather Heyer Foundation – The Heather Heyer Foundation was created to honor Heather Heyer, a young civil rights activist, who dedicated her life to promoting equal rights for all people. The Foundation has established a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to individuals passionate about positive social change.
• Help Happens Here – Connects residents with free and affordable mental health services. The referral line can connect callers with referrals to private therapists offering free, short-term counseling for stress related to the events of August 11th and 12th, 2017.
• ReadyKids – Children look to the adults in their lives to understand their world and how to respond, especially during upsetting and traumatic community events. Learn about strategies to help talk with and support your child in the aftermath of August 11th and 12th, 2017.
• Region Ten – Established in 1969, Region Ten Community Services Board is part of a statewide network of 40 Community Service Boards working to provide mental health, intellectual disability and substance use services where they are needed – in the local community.
• Signs of Change Charlottesville – The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia has created Signs of Change Charlottesville, a series of community workshops, public art and exhibitions that will tell the untold stories of African Americans in the Charlottesville Community.
• Southern Poverty Law Center – The Teaching Tolerance project combats prejudice among our nation’s youth while promoting equality, inclusiveness and equitable learning environments in the classroom. We produce an array of anti-bias resources that we distribute, free of charge, to educators across the country – award-winning classroom documentaries, lesson plans and curricula, Teaching Tolerance magazine, and more.
• The Center for Nonprofit Excellence: "Stand For Your Mission Campaign" – CNE is committed to strengthening the nonprofit sector and to working hand in hand with the business community and local government to advance vibrant and just communities.
• The Charlottesville Clergy Collective – A group of clergy and interested persons who gather regularly to discuss and address the challenge of race relations in the Charlottesville and Albemarle region of Virginia.
• The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center: "Pride Overcomes Prejudice" Exhibt – The exhibition is drawn from the oral and written histories of African Americans who participated in local, regional, and national struggles for racial equality as students, teachers, and alumni of Jefferson School, ca. 1865-1965 and beyond.
• The Women’s Initiative – The Women's Initiative have many offerings to provide support and care around the anniversary of August 12 as well as the historical and racial traumas that came before and have happened since.
• United Way—Thomas Jefferson Area – At the United Way Thomas Jefferson Area, we believe that when people from all backgrounds come together, the result is a stronger, more vibrant community. How do we do this? The three pillars that inform our mission—Community Philanthropy, Catalytic Leadership, and Dynamic Grantmaking—combined with our three areas of focus—Early Education & School Readiness, Making Work Pay & Self-Sufficiency, and Strategic Health Partnerships & Community Health—create our Community Table where everyone is welcome.
• University and Community Action for Racial Equity (UCARE): Confronting the Legacy of Slavery, Segregation, and Discrimination at the University of Virginia – UCARE began in 2007 as an effort to help the University of Virginia and the Charlottesville area communities work together to understand the University’s history of slavery, segregation, and discrimination and to find ways to address and repair the legacy of those harms.

Harrisonburg

• The Heritage Museum Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society –  Ongoing “Third Thursday Talks” on varies historical subjects.
• Harrisonburg local public schools are Teaching Tolerance – Resources are provided for teachers and schools to educate children and youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy.
• James Madison University -- have implemented a Diversity Board in response to promote diversity on campus. They also have a humanitarian curriculum for teaching students. They provide students with a global perspective on major issues facing the human community today. Students investigate the impacts of natural disasters, disease, poverty, conflict, human rights violations, and governmental policies on human communities around the world. They also explore solutions to humanitarian crises and some of the organizations that address those crises.

Richmond

• The Virginia Center For Inclusive Communities – RVA Table Talk Dinner and dialogue programs throughout the year that bring people together and improve understanding of issues related to diversity and inclusion. 2018-2019 topics include mental illness, ageism, youth and refugee resettlement. The first talk is November 27th. Information available at inclusiveVA.org/rvatabletalk.
• Virginia Inclusion Summit – January 25th event brings together higher education, business, and government sectors for a day of learning, networking, and strategizing to advance inclusion across Virginia.  Information available at inclusiveVA.org/inclusionsummit.
• The Virginia Holocaust Museum Break Glass Exhibit - The Art of V.L Cox -- A Conversation to End Hate on view until February 10, 2019. Cox aspires to spark conversation about civil rights and equality while also exploring the persistence of hate and injustice in America today. Go to VAholocaust.org to learn more.
• The Valentine Richmond History Museum--Monumental: Richmond's Monument's – This looks at the historical context of public monuments in Richmond, and the Valentine is excited to build on its role as a space to engage in meaningful, sometimes uncomfortable discussions about what we have chosen to commemorate and what we have chosen to forget. Go to the valentine.org to learn more.
• American Civil War Museum -- is a center for the exploration of the American Civil War and its legacies from multiple perspectives: Union and Confederate, enslaved and free African Americans, soldiers and civilians. Go to acwm.org to learn about their many educational programs.