Roesch NJJFF: Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round

Post-screening Q&A with director Ilana Trachtman on Zoom
Director: Ilana Trachtman
2024, USA, 89 minutes
English with English subtitles
Documentary

Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round tells the little-known story of the first organized interracial Civil Rights protest in U.S. history. Five Howard University students sat on a segregated Maryland carousel in 1960 and their arrests made headlines. When the progressive Jewish community near Glen Echo Amusement Park joined the Black students in picketing, an extraordinary partnership was born. The pickets attracted Nazis, Congressman, and a press avalanche. Relationships and mentorships formed among the activists, producing future Freedom Riders and Civil Rights leaders.

This rousing film features interviews with many living participants, never-before-seen archival footage, and voiceover reenactments from Jeffrey Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Lee Grant, Dominique Thorne, and other stars of film and television.

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Host or Publisher JCC MetroWest