Leveling Lincoln
The film, Leveling Lincoln interviews the children who lived the history behind the landmark desegregation case of Taylor vs. Board of Education of New Rochelle, NY - 1960-1964. This case branded the city the “Little Rock of the North” in the press, leveled an entire school, and brought the Civil Rights struggle to the “tolerant” North East. The Supreme Court made a covenant with the minority parents of our nation that they could seek a better education in every school district. With the best of intentions, they sent their small children into white schools. What were the intended and unintended consequences?
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Arden Teresa LewisDirectorKorona Kinder, Monday's Child, Trellis & Vine, Breaking In, Screenplay for Gravel Road - all award winners on Film freeway.
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Arden Teresa LewisWriter
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Arden Teresa LewisProducer
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Kimberly WoodsProducer
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Dorothy OliverKey CastSubjects of the documentary
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Roslyn WilliamsKey CastSubjects of the documentary
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Ron WilliamsKey CastSubjects of the documentary
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Alumni of Lincoln SchoolKey CastSubjects of the documentary
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Alumni of New Rochelle High SchoolKey CastSubjects of the documentary
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:1 hour 13 minutes 55 seconds
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Completion Date:May 31, 2022
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Production Budget:77,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:4K and HD
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Songs of Our Fathers Juneteenth Celebrations 2022New Rochelle, NY
United States
June 19, 2022
Community Screening -
Harlem International Film FestivalNew York, NY
United States
May 20, 2022
New. York State Premiere
New York Vision Award -
Golden Door International Film FestivalJersey City, NJ
United States
May 14, 2022
New Jersey State Premiere -
Rhode Island Black Film FestivalProvidence, Rhode Island
United States
April 9, 2022
World Premiere
Best Historical Film -
Indie FEST 2022Hollywood, CA
United States
Virtual Awards Festival
Four Awards of Excellence Incuding Best Song and Women Director -
Cannes Virtual Film AwardsCannes, France
France
No Screenings
Selected -
Yofi International Film Festival 2022Yonkers, NY
United States
December 7, 2022
New York Premiere
Best Feature Documentary -
Road Trip Nation Headquarters 2023Orange, CA
United States
February 10, 2023
Corporate Diversity Training Event
Distribution Information
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NETA/PBSDistributorCountry: United StatesRights: Internet, Free TV
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InfoBase - Educational OnlyDistributorCountry: United StatesRights: Video / Disc
Arden Teresa Lewis – She/her/hers - Director/Producer/Project initiator
LEVELING LINCOLN can be streamed on the PBS App and any PBS platform. It was a finalist for Black Public Media’s Open Call and was selected for IDA/Film Independent’s Docuclub, Nov. 2021. In 2022 it garnered several awards for LEVELING LINCOLN including best feature documentary at YoFi Film Fest and Rhode Island Black Film Festival and the New York Vision Award at the Harlem International Film Fest. She is honored that her feature script, Gravel Road, won first place at the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival, was a 2019 Second Place Winner at the SENE Fest in Providence, RI, and a Finalist at the Big Apple Film Festival 2019 and Manhattan Film Festival 2019 and a 2018 finalist at the Lady Filmmakers Festival in Beverly Hills among other laurels. She currently has directed a critically acclaimed stage play WALKING IN SPACE, at Theatre West in Hollywood and her play, CASSATT! will be produced their in March of 2024. Originally from New York, Arden has acted OFF Broadway at Primary Stages, The Bouerie Lane Theatre, Soho Playhouse, at the Paper Mill Playhouse and the La Mirada Civic Theatre. Her short films, Monday's Child and Trellis & Vine have earned Laurels from London to Long Beach. She received the Lilian Nesburn Award from the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild for her play, Grandma Good and was a semi-finalist for the Jane Chambers Award with her play, Baby Dreams. Baby Dreams starred Veanne Cox and was published in Theatre Communications Guild Magazine. Her play, Little Rhonda, was produced at Theatre Geo and is part of the Audrey Skirbal Kenis Theatre Archives at the Los Angeles Central Library. Her written work appears in two anthologies: Scenes For Women By Women and Even More Monologues For Women By Women – Tori Haring Smith/Heinemann Press. She holds a BA in theatre from UCLA. Learn more about her at Facebook: ATLewis films. or Website: ardenteresalewis.com https://filmfreeway.com/projects/1563075
Never assume that what you have in your neighborhood, school, city, state or country was created easily. Most systems in the United States are hard won and bravely created by forward thinkers. "All politics are local" and all study of history should be local too. Every city in this country has a Civil Rights story. New Rochelle, my city, had a few more famous ones, but the case of Taylor v. Board of Education was wiped away except for a few local people who kept it alive with gatherings and a plaque in a park. The Taylors and others who are still alive, won't speak much to press about this case - it is still too fresh and painful. But I found that a few plaintiffs whose names were not listed first on the case, were willing to talk about their parents struggle and how they watched them plan the fight for their education. I found enough plaintiffs to piece the story together and get a sense of how it was to walk into these schools with very little preparation. Many teachers rose to the occasion with kindness and some empathy, but many did not it seems. As a first time director, interviewing people I grew up with about a story that was withheld from me and my peers, was emotional to say the least. I am honored so many agreed to share this historical moment in history that changed integration in the North dramatically. I treasure every moment of the four years working on this hometown story and hope it shines a light on a fairly successful integration story that could inspire others to fight for more integrated schools in our current education climate.
Arden Teresa Lewis - Director - Leveling Lincoln - New Rochelle Class of 1977