Join us to celebrate Black History Month with a film screening and discussion.

In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten–until now. SUMMER OF SOUL shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.

Join us to celebrate this historic moment in music history with a film screening followed by a facilitated discussion with Aaron Cohen.

Aaron Cohen teaches humanities at City Colleges of Chicago and writes for numerous publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Down Beat and the Chicago Reader. He is the author of Move on Up: Chicago Soul Music and Black Cultural Power, which looks at the social and musical changes that shaped R&B in his hometown during the 1960s and 1970s.

To request accommodations, please contact us at 847-392-0100 or accessibility@ahml.info prior to the event.