- Welcome to POV.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
The Beach Boys once sang "Be True to Your School."
Tonight, we meet a group of residents
in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood
trying to do just that in the film Let the Little Light Shine.
Just a few years ago, the city of Chicago
closed a record 49 elementary schools,
explaining that the closures were due
to the schools' underperformance.
One of the schools was a top-ranked elementary school,
but that didn't stop some from trying to shut it down for good.
National Teachers Academy is located
on Chicago's near south side.
In addition to it actually being
an excellent learning institution,
it's been a lifeline for young Black children
and has given local youth, primarily low income Black,
a home away from home and a school
that's been part of their lives and communities for years.
That is, until a parents' group
consisting primarily of new residents
rode into the area on the wave of gentrification
and demanded a high school with a brand-new campus
in the community that would cater primarily
to new residents.
This is not the type of story
that would typically make national headlines.
It might not even lead the news in Chicago.
On the surface, it's another poor area being gentrified.
But sometimes, a big corporation or bureaucracy
meets an immovable object.
In this case, it was the students, teachers, and parents
of National Teachers Academy
who played David to the City of Chicago's Goliath.
Director Kevin Shaw is a seasoned filmmaker.
He's been making documentaries for 20 years
and has done just about everything you can do
when it comes to filmmaking, including writing, editing,
grip work, assistant directing, producing,
and of course, directing.
Nice to see a guy who has really earned his chops
have one of his films shown to a national audience.
In a recent interview, Shaw said he drew from the activism
synonymous with the city of Chicago
and found it inspiring to see grassroots activism,
especially in young people,
manage to achieve what few had thought possible.
Now, let's witness the power of documentary film
as a determined group of parents, teachers, and students
take on the third-largest school system in America
in a film the Chicago Tribune says
delivers the visceral impact of all six Rocky movies
and a couple of Creed films put together.
Yo, Adrian.
Let the Little Light Shine starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.