What The Hell America!

When Jaleesa Collins discovered that Sinners was set in her hometown, she saw it as a great opportunity to organize a public screening.

The military veteran, philanthropist and entrepreneur — along with Dave “Dooney” Houston, owner of Dooney’s Barbershop and Carnival Treats — originally pitched the idea as a fundraiser for the first-ever Clarksdale Day, the committee of which they serve on. The three-day event, set for Labor Day weekend, plans to unify the town and celebrate local culture through activities such as a parade, car show, award ceremony and barbecue competition.

The idea sparked conversation across Facebook.

Following that, Tyler Yarbrough, a community organizer and Clarksdale native, jumped into action and launched an open letter to Sinners’ director Ryan Coogler expressing his desire to host a screening and facilitate conversations.

After much discussion, Warner Bros. Pictures, the distribution company for Sinners, announced it will host multiple public screenings of the film May 29 through May 31 in the majority Black city of 14,000. On May 29, Coogler will visit the town and enjoy a screening in downtown Clarksdale. Following the screening, there will be Q&A with Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, the film’s composer, and actor Miles Caton. Also attending are Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian, who are producers for Proximity Media, and executive music producer Serena Göransson.

This event is part of Clarksdale Culture Capital, a three-day festival that includes “dynamic panels featuring local Clarksdalians, historians, artists, cultural workers, and musicians, anchoring the film in the soil it came from and uplifting the voices who live and breathe this region’s truths every day,” according to a news release. For the full schedule and ticket information, visit this website.

“There’s a groundswell of activity happening in Clarksdale, that’s burbling up from the ancestral soil that is known as the Delta. This moment is bigger than myself, bigger than Sinners, it’s about pride and ownership, and love,” Yarbrough said in a statement. “We’re bringing that to life, leveraging the premier of Sinners in Clarksdale, but we’re also very interested in keeping the microphone on Clarksdale now and in the future.”

Mayor Chuck Espy of Clarksdale said in a statement that this moment for Clarksdale “signals that the Delta’s creative power, history, and people are not just worth watching, but investing in.”

Read More: ‘Sinners’ Honored Juke Joints. Today, They’re Fighting to Stay Open.

In Clarksdale — the birthplace of the blues — there’s no active movie theater. Despite that, several residents told Capital B it’s important for filmmakers who are inspired by the town’s history to be intentional about creating opportunities and giving back to the community in meaningful ways.

“I’m just happy to see how far this has gone — from just the start of an ideal to transforming action into opportunity, and now we’re at the end state of making this a reality,” said Collins, who is also on the planning committee to help the event come to fruition. “I’m all about culture. I’m all about art … and we’re bridging the gap and bringing all of that together.”

Since Capital B first-reported the story, there have been national conversations across several social media platforms and media hits from CNN and USA Today to The Breakfast Club, leading executives of Warner Bros. to reach out directly to Yarbrough.

Collins and Houston hope this screening will present an opportunity for attendees to support local businesses and create opportunities for the local community. Additionally, they want the events to empower Clarksdale residents to work together and create a better future for the present and future generations.

“Clarksdale is on its way back, but it ain’t coming back in a form that the older generations like my mom and dad saw it. It’s coming back through arts, culture, and film,” Houston said. “We got a voice out there in the world, and we need to promote it. We’re the people trying to save our city.”