Events

"Raising Bertie" is the acclaimed documentary film by director Margaret Byrne that offers an intimate portrait of three African American boys coming of age in rural Eastern North Carolina; the film had its world premiere at the 2017 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Set in Bertie County and filmed over the course of six years, the film takes audiences deep into the emotional lives of Reginald "Junior" Askew, David "Bud" Perry, and Davonte "Dada" Harrell. "Raising Bertie" weaves the young men's stories together as they try to define their identities, interconnecting narratives of family, youthful innocence, first love, systemic racism, educational inequity, poverty and unemployment, and the will to succeed in the face of formidable odds.

A post-screening panel will include the film's director, producer, the director of the alternative school central to the film, and one of the main subjects. The Duke Center on Law, Race, and Politics is also a co-sponsor of this event.