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Documentary ‘Storming the Gates’ will screen Feb. 27 inside HSC’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium

February 23, 2012

Photo of a diverse group of college graduates“Storming the Gates: The Struggle for Access to Higher Education in Illinois,” a powerful documentary which chronicles the ongoing history of blacks and Latinos in Illinois higher education, will screen at NIU.

The screening begins at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, inside the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center.

The film features trailblazers from institutions across Illinois who played key roles in opening access to higher education for students of color.

It illustrates the links between access and the civil rights movements of blacks and Latinos in the 1960s and ’70s, and highlights the importance and the central role Illinois has played in the national struggle for access and equity. It also demonstrates the importance of black and brown people coming together as the struggle continues against erosion of, and actions to cut back on, affirmative action gains.

Educational experts and community leaders, many of whom appear in the documentary, will participate in a panel discussion immediately following the screening. Questions from the audience are welcome.

A reception will follow in the HSC Regency Room.

Sponsors are the Black Faculty Association, the Center for Black Studies, the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, the College of Education, the College of Law, Holmes Student Center Catering, Human Resource Services – Affirmative Action, the NIU Alumni Association and NIU Document Services.

For more information, call Gail Hayenga and (815) 753-8370 or email ghayenga@niu.edu.

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