By Lee Cole

On Jan. 28, the University of Louisville A&S Office for International, Diversity, and Outreach Programs, along with the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, kicked off the 2011 African American Film Series. For consecutive Fridays at 5:30 p.m., from Jan. 28 to Feb. 18, four critically acclaimed films are being shown at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, located at 1701 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

The subject matter is diverse, with topics ranging from the United States embargo of Cuba to Bob Marley. Most of the films share a focus on people of African descent in the Americas, including a film about Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L’Ouverture and the film that won the 1959 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize.

In addition to these, four other family-oriented films will be shown on consecutive Saturdays at noon, from March 12 to April 2, including favorites such as “The Great Debaters” and “The Princess and the Frog.”

The films coincide with Black History Month. They reflect many of the issues with which the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is concerned, particularly the role of black individuals in shaping history.

Reginald Meeks, associate director of outreach programs at the College of Arts and Sciences, sees the benefits of the partnership between the university and the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.

“We see the film series as a way of providing an exciting new opportunity to expand our audience base in the Louisville community,” said Meeks. “We hope to reach a broader audience and connect the university with that audience.”

Meeks worked in collaboration with coordinators at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, including Rita Phillips, the operations manager.

“We’re very excited about working with the university,” said Phillips. “And it’s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of opportunities and future collaborations between the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.”

The African American Film Series will be of particular interest to students, as the films to be shown are free to the public and light refreshments will be served. For many college students, any event combining entertainment, food and affordability is always welcome.

“The movies look interesting and they are free,” said Camden Knight, a senior computer engineering and computer science major. “You really can’t beat that.”