The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program presents a film premiere: The Life of Oscar Mack Event
Date: April 12, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
Event Location: Pugh Hall, MacKay Auditorium
Hybrid Zoom event: https://bit.ly/3HDa6TM
For in-person register click here.
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (University of Florida): The 1920s in Florida saw some of the most severe racial violence in the United States, in an era already known as the low-point for race relations. Two years after the Ocoee massacre, the bloodiest day in American political history, and one year before the destruction of Rosewood by a White mob, one Black man stood up to the Ku Klux Klan in Jim Crow Florida. Black WWI Veteran Oscar Mack received a federal appointment as Postmaster in Kissimmee, a job that would come at a price. When White police, angered by his prominence, came after Mack, he used his military training to defend himself. Newspaper reports conflict about what followed. What happened to Oscar Mack? One hundred years later, interviews with Mack’s descendants reveal the true story.
Follow the journey of Oscar Mack and his family as he escapes death and travels throughout the country trying to create a new life. Curtis Michelson discovered the puzzle of Mack’s life as a citizen historian in 2013. He brought the story to Professor Julian Chambliss, and they began to co-research Mack’s life with UF students. Michelson, Dr. Chambliss, and SPOHP conducted interviews with descendants of Mack and other families. These interviews inform the production, created by filmmaker Deborah Hendrix. Mack’s story demonstrates the economic basis of racial violence and the necessity of Black resistance to White supremacy. The Life of Oscar Mack aims to reveal the truth and bring closure to everyone affected by this story of bravery and resilience. Descendants of Oscar Mack will be in attendance and will discuss his legacy and the importance of the film.