Co-presented by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and Lincoln Center

Join us for a virtual screening of The Baptism, by artists Carl Hancock Rux and Carrie Mae Weems, followed by a conversation on the lives and legacies of John Lewis and C.T. Vivian, which inspired the poem and film. Moderated by Ellen McGirt (Senior Editor, Fortune Magazine), the discussion with award-winning poet Carl Hancock Rux will explore the work of Lewis and Vivian, the resonance of their influence today, and the artists’ creative process fueled by activism and a spirit of resistance.

This conversation will be livestreamed for free on Tuesday, February 9 at 3:00 pm ET on Lincoln Center’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, which can be accessed from this webpage. For more information about The Baptism project, visit The BaptismPoem.org. 

“...I could only realize that as a Black man in America, I owed a great ‘thank you’ to the many men and women who had already confronted the world, and did something in order to change it.“  —Carl Hancock Rux, Poet and Artist 

About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights 
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum and human rights organization in Atlanta that inspires people to tap their own power to change the world around them. The Center’s iconic exhibitions feature the papers and artifacts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; the history of the US civil rights movement; and stories from the struggle for human rights around the world today. The organization believes in justice and dignity for all—and the power of people to make this real. It inspires visitors with immersive exhibitions, dynamic events and conversations, and engagement and education/training programs. For more information about the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, or to subscribe to the email list, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org.

About the Artists 
Carl Hancock Rux is an American poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, actor, director, singer/ songwriter. He is the author of several books including the Village Voice Literary Prize-winning “Pagan Operetta,“ the novel, Asphalt, and the Obie Award-winning play, Talk. Rux is also a singer/songwriter with four CDs to his credit, as well as a frequent collaborator in the fields of dance, theater, film, and contemporary art. 

Widely renowned as one of the most influential living American artists, Carrie Mae Weems examines how our society structures power through deeply embedded stories, images, and ideas. A gifted storyteller who works porously between text and image, Weems has developed a revolutionary approach to the expression of narratives about women, people of color, and working-class communities, “conjuring lush art from the arid polemics of identity“ (The New York Times).