- Welcome to POV.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut .
Tonight, we meet a group of young girls of color
making history, or in their words, “ her story”
in the film We Are the Radical Monarchs .
The Radical Monarchs are a female group
similar to the Girl Scouts, but instead of selling cookies,
they are at the front lines in the fight for social justice.
The documentary is set in Oakland, California,
a city with a rich history of social justice struggles.
The film puts a spotlight on the group's founders,
two queer women of color and their struggles
as they create a space for their young protégés
who can be seen marching with Black Lives Matter
or participating in a Transmarch.
The girls earn badges for being an LGBTQ ally,
caring for the environment, and justice for disabled.
The film was directed and produced
by Linda Goldstein Knowlton,
who in addition to the everyday challenges of production
was dealing with a personal struggle of her own.
Just one month into filming,
she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Knowlton says the opportunity to document a rising movement
was what drew her to the project.
She also says she got really excited
after reading the group's vision statement, which states
“The Radical Monarchs empower young girls of color
"so that they stay rooted in their collective power,
"brilliance, and leadership
"in order to make the world a more radical place.”
We Are the Radical Monarchs starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.