Documentary on African Americans at Purdue premieres at Loeb

[Blue_Tires]

WEST LAFAYETTE—A feature- length documentary called Black Purdue, which chronicles the experiences of African American students at Purdue University since the 1890s, premiered Oct. 2 at Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse.

Drawing upon copious sources, including books on Purdue, newspaper archives, yearbooks and nearly 25 hours of personal interviews with black alumni, the movie begins at a time when black students were denied campus food and housing, were barred from campus social life, and banned from college sports. It records the subsequent decades of struggle, the on-campus protests in the 1960s and the steady progress over the years that accorded black students equal rights.

“To witness the transformation that both Purdue and its black population underwent over the years is inspirational and it makes us believe in the power of change,” said Derek Fordjour, one of the documentary’s two directors. “Having watched the movie, the audience will be left with a sense of hope.”

This is the first time a movie has been made about African Americans at Purdue, Fordjour said. The documentary was jointly produced by Derek and Jamar Productions and the Purdue Black Alumni Organization.

“Taurus Richardson, former president of the Purdue Black Alumni Organization who had seen a project of ours entitled Black Sorority Project, contacted us,” said co-director Jamar White. “After some initial interviews with black Purdue alums, it was clear there was a pretty amazing story here.”

Although White and Fordjour— both residents of New York—never attended Purdue, they could empathize with the experience of being a minority, Fordjour said.

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