Peratrovich Project Gives Tools To Talk About Civil Rights

Signing of the Alaska Anti-Discrimination ActAlaska’ s League of Women Voters project puts materials, guides at teachers’ fingertips, including the documentary film: “For the Rights of All.”

For many, Elizabeth Peratrovich is the face of Alaska civil rights.  Alaska’s February 16 civil rights holiday is named for her.  But Peratrovich was one of many activists of a movement that spanned generations and powerfully affected modern Alaska as much as  better known histories like the gold rush or statehood.

The documentary film, “For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska” begins to fill in the blank areas of Alaska’s history mosaic.   Produced by Blueberry Productions of Anchorage, the one-hour film aired nationally on PBS stations in 2009 and continues to air every year, usually during November, which is Native American Heritage Month.

The logical next step for helping educate Alaskans of the Native contributions to our state is getting the film into schools.  The League of Woman Voters Juneau Chapter is doing just that.  Here is a link to a Juneau Empire article written by Melissa Griffiths.

http://juneauempire.com/neighbors/2014-01-05/elizabeth-peratrovich-project-tools-talk-about-civil-rights#.UtWJhWRDvZc