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The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up

On the morning of February 1, 1985, Lincoln “Lokmar” Love was doomed to the same fate as George Floyd, Tyre Nichols, and so many other Black men in the US. As he lay handcuffed and shackled, Pendleton Correctional Facility guards beat the prisoner beyond recognition as terrified bystanders watched from their cells. But Lokmar’s story ended differently when 2 fellow prisoners sacrificed their freedom to save him from his assailants — a Ku Klux Klan-affiliated guard gang known as the Sons of Light. "The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up" tells the story of John “Balagoon” Cole and Christopher “Naeem” Trotter, the leaders of the Indiana prison uprising that rescued Lokmar, exposed Pendleton’s dehumanizing conditions, and unleashed the vindictive wrath of the Indiana Department of Correction. Presented by the Defense Committee to Free the Pendleton 2, "They Stood Up" features exclusive first hand testimony from Cole and Trotter, as well as interviews with family members and witnesses to the uprising who continue to fight for the Pendleton 2 after four decades of unjust incarceration and solitary confinement.

  • Too Black
    Director
  • TheKingTrill
    Director
  • Too Black
    Producer
  • TheKingTrill
    Producer
  • Christopher Naeem Trotter
    Key Cast
  • John Balagoon Cole
    Key Cast
  • Too Black
    Editor
  • Too Black
    Audio Mixer
  • TheKingTrill
    Narrator
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 6 minutes 36 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 30, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Kan Kan Cinema
    Indianapolis
    United States
    June 19, 2023
  • Gary International Black Film Festival
    Gary
    United States
    October 14, 2023
    Midwest Award: Best Documentary Feature
Director - Too Black, TheKingTrill
Director Statement

We [Too Black and TheKingTrill] are both organizers for the Defense Committee to Free the Pendleton 2—political prisoners Christopher "Naeem" Trotter and John "Balagoon" Cole. We used our skills to create a documentary film that brings light to this important case.