'12 Years a Slave' coming to a school near you
theGRIO REPORT - Steve McQueen's acclaimed drama '12 Years a Slave' has been hailed as the definitive portrayal of American slavery -- a position that at least the National School Boards Association has embraced...
Steve McQueen’s acclaimed drama 12 Years a Slave has been hailed as the definitive portrayal of American slavery — a position that at least the National School Boards Association has embraced.
According to TIME, the organization is recommending that the Oscar-nominated film be added to the curriculum of U.S. schools.
The distribution of the movie to schools has been funded by talk show host Montel Williams (who played an instrumental role in the Civil War film Glory being shown in schools) in partnership with New Regency, Penguin Books and Fox Searchlight Pictures.
“This gives high school teachers a lot of options, so they can decide how they can fit it in with the curricula they’re teaching,” said NSBA executive director, Tom Gentzel. “[Slavery] is an important topic, and it’s an opportunity they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
McQueen is delighted by the news. “Since first reading 12 Years a Slave it has been my dream that this book be taught in schools,” he said.
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