eVideo
hoopla Instant
When Liberty Burns
Year
2022
Language
ENGLISH
Duration
1h 51m
Rating
NR
CC
Performers
Frederica Watts McDuffle, Forestine Reid, Marc McDuffie, Luis McDuffie, Gwendolyn Anderson, Perman Anderson
Directed By
Dudley Alexis
Publication Information
Dreamscape Media
Summary
This documentary highlights the life and death of Arthur L. McDuffie. On December 17th, 1979, after failing to stop for a traffic light, police officers gave chase. After realizing he could not escape, McDuffie surrendered. He was beaten until he lost consciousness. That beating by multiple officers caused his death. Acquittal of the offending officers, charged in the murder sparked a civil disturbance in Miami's urban core. The McDuffie Riots ultimately changed Miami-Dade County and became a symbol of the city's struggle to contend with race relations and its sordid history during the Jim Crow era. This documentary engages family members and friends of Arthur McDuffie, lead detectives, eyewitnesses, historians, and contemporary community activists in interviews and it chronicles McDuffie's life and his rich relationships with his family and his community. When Liberty Burns also examines the context in which Miami developed during this country's Jim Crow era and traces the dynamics of race relations in the City while also managing increasingly diverse ethnic populations, growth, and change.