Special screening of documentary on Congresswoman Barbara Lee at Concord drive-in

(KRON) – East Bay Congresswoman Barbara Lee is well known throughout the Bay Area as a champion of progressive politics but a local award-winning filmmaker felt her story needed a wider audience and is launching a documentary on Lee.

This Thursday night, there will be a special screening at a drive-in theater in Concord.

KRON4 talked with the filmmaker about the project and saw clips from the film.

Here’s a preview of “Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me.”

“The reason I wanted to do it is because I felt like Barbara should be better known than she is outside the bay area and I really wanted to share her story,” Abby Ginsberg said. 

The story traces Barbara Lee’s early years born in Texas, the move to California, her days at Mills College, U.C. Berkeley, a single mom and a young activist.

“When she meets Shirley Chisholm, the first African American representative in Congress, she comes to Mills College, at that moment she becomes an activist in the Democratic party,” Ginsberg said. 

The film follows her election to the California State House and then the House of Representatives.

All the time, an advocate for progressive issues fighting for the poor and communities which are largely ignored and it highlights her lone vote – against the Iraq War.

“Understanding how Barbara came to that vote, to be able to live with it, the push back that came at her, the death threats etc. Film puts it all in context,” Ginsberg said. 

“We did not anticipate we’d be in a BLM moment when we released the film and what I would say is everything Barbara does today is to ensure the strength of BLM. She’s been doing her entire life,” Ginsberg said. “What I think the film offers, public servant all these years.”

You must buy tickets in advance, there are no sales at the gate.

The screening is sponsored by the Jewish Film Institute.

For ticket information, CLICK HERE. (Promotion Code – CA13TH)

The screening will be at the Westwind Solano drive-in located in Concord.

One ticket covers one car – no matter how many people are in the car.

Latest Stories: