Kanopy: Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Explore the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. with Kanopy, a streaming service that is free with your WPL card. Titles include I Have a Dream, which features four historic speeches by Martin Luther King Jr., and Black America since MLK: And Still I rise which analyzes African American history within the past 50 years.

WPL card holders have 9 tickets to use to watch films. Follow this link to learn more about how tickets work. The Kanopy app is available on mobile devices and smart TVs. Create an account here. If you already have an account, click on the film title to sign in and start watching. 

I Have a Dream

This historical compilation features highlights of major speeches given by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. - August 28, 1963

Brown Chapel, Selma, AL - March 8, 1965

Final Speech - April 3, 1968

Robert F. Kennedy Eulogy - April 4, 1968

PBS: In Remembrance of Martin

Personal comments from family, friends, and advisors fill this remarkable documentary honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Coretta Scott King joins the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Julian Bond, Jimmy Carter, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Senator Edward Kennedy, John Lewis, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Andrew Young, who recall Dr. King's career and trace his leadership in the civil rights movement.

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise 

This series looks at the last five decades of African American history through the eyes of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., exploring the tremendous gains and persistent challenges of these years. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, scholarly analysis and rare archival footage, the series illuminates our recent past, while raising urgent questions about the future of the African American community and our nation as a whole.

King: A Filmed Record

A monumental documentary that follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests are interspersed with scenes of other high-profile supporters and opponents of the cause, punctuated by heartfelt testimonials by some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

The Talk: Race in America

This film documents the increasingly common conversation taking place in homes across the country between parents of color and their children, especially sons, about how to behave if they are ever stopped by the police.

At the River I Stand

A skillful reconstruction of the two eventful months that transformed a strike by Memphis sanitation workers into a national conflagration. 

WPL Pride Guide

Join Worcester Public Library in celebrating Pride Month. View our resources below to learn more about the LGBTQ community and how you can become an ally by supporting Pride every month of the year. Click here to learn about Worcester Pride, which takes place in September. 

WPL Staff Picks Booklists

LGBTQ Mysteries and Thrillers

LGBTQ Romance

LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy

LGBTQIA+ Nonfiction

Libby eBook and Audiobook Pride collection

Recommendations: Looking for something new to read or watch featuring LGBTQ characters? Our librarians are here to help you find books, magazines, and DVDs you'll enjoy. Fill out the form and we'll let you know when your titles are available to pick up. 

Kanopy: A collection of films honoring the LGBTQ community. Free to use with your WPL card. 

History

Act Up Oral History Project

Digital Transgender Archive

GLBT Historical Society 

Library of Congress: LGBTQIA+ Studies Resource Guide

Additional Resources

Human Rights Campaign: Being an LGBTQ ally

Lambda Literary

Tips for LGBTQ Travelers

Youth.gov

Happening at WPL

Join us on Friday, June 24 @ 3pm at the Main Library for a showing of the documentary Paris is Burning. No registration required. 

Visit our Teen Space to view the Artivism Gallery featuring artwork created by teens about the issues that are important to them. You can also follow our Teen Department on Instagram @mywplteen. 

Kanopy: Celebrating Pride Month

Celebrate Pride Month with Kanopy, a streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card.  Sign in to mywpl.kanopy.com to watch on your computer or download the Kanopy app to watch on your mobile device or smart TV. Click here for instructions on how to create an account. 

 

Check It 

This film festival favorite follows a group of African-American gay and transgender youth in one of Washington D.C.'s most violent neighborhoods. After being subjected to constant torment and assault, the group formed their own gang for camaraderie and protection.

United in Anger: A History of Act Up

An inspiring documentary about the birth and life of the AIDS activist movement from the perspective of the people in the trenches fighting the epidemic. Utilizing oral histories of members of ACT UP, as well as rare archival footage, the film depicts the efforts of ACT UP as it battles corporate greed, social indifference, and government neglect. 

Call Her Ganda

When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina transwoman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women decide to investigate the case: an activist attorney, a transgender journalist, and Jennifer's mother. Together, they galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of U.S. imperialism.

Funeral Parade of Roses

Director Toshio Matsumoto's shattering, kaleidoscopic masterpiece is one of the most subversive and intoxicating films of the late 1960s: a headlong dive into a dazzling, unseen Tokyo night-world of drag queen bars and fabulous divas, fueled by booze, drugs, fuzz guitars, performance art and black mascara. Stanley Kubrick cited the film as a direct influence on his own dystopian classic A Clockwork Orange.

Political Animals 

Emotionally charged like its subjects, the film follows four ground-breaking women who took the fight for gay rights off the streets and into the halls of government.

Viva

Jesus is a young hairdresser working at a Havana nightclub that showcases drag performers, which he hopes to be one day. But when his father has different expectations, the men struggle to understand one another and reconcile as a family.

Kanopy: Conflict in Ukraine

Kanopy, streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card, has assembled a collection of films that provide further context on the conflict in Ukraine. To view the complete list of films and learn more about this moment and the events that led up to it, visit go.kanopy.com/ukraine. To learn more about Kanopy, click here. 

To find books about these events, view our Understanding Ukraine booklist. 

Breaking Point 

This documentary looks at people who were transformed by a democratic revolution and gave up their normal lives to fight a Russian invasion. 

Maidan: Uprising in Ukraine

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, Maidan chronicles the civil uprising that toppled the government of Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovich and has since developed into an international crisis between Russia and the West.

Putin's Way

With only a smattering of biographical details released to the public and his sometimes puzzling public appearances, scholars-and even many world leaders-still struggle to understand the man at the helm of the Kremlin. To glean a clearer picture, Frontline took a closer look at some of the most identifiable aspects of Putin’s public persona.

Chechnya: War without trace

Award-winning journalist Manon Loizeau returned to the places she filmed while undercover in Chechnya. Behind the gleaming façade of the new Grozny, Loizeau discovered women and men more terrified than in all the years of war and occupation. 

Hispanic Heritage Month 2021

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) celebrates the history, culture and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. The day of September 15 is significant as it is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18.

Below are resources for everyone to learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month, so that we may celebrate it all year long and honor the stories of all Americans. 

WPL Resources

Hispanic Heritage Month Reading List- Enjoy our booklist highlighting the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States.

Romance Reads for Hispanic Heritage Month- Romance featuring prominent Hispanic & Latinx characters. 

Celebrating Hispanic Athletes Reading List - Learn about the contributions made by Hispanic & Latinx athletes to the sporting world. 

Overdrive Reading List - Fiction and nonfiction books in electronic and audio format. 

Hispanic Heritage Month Watch List- A collection of documentaries from Kanopy, a free streaming service with your WPL card. 

Finding Your Hispanic Roots by George R. Ryskamp- Recommended by our genealogy department for exploring your Hispanic ancestry. 

National Poetry Month: Hispanic Poets- Read our blog about poets Pablo Neruda & Julia de Burgos. 

La Borinqueña: A new heroine for our time

Learn More 

HispanicHeritageMonth.gov

Latino History Project of Worcester

Worcester State University Latino Education Institute 

Clark University Latin + American Art Exhibit: Gallery video/Artist video

Library of Congress Latinx Studies

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLLA)

National Museum of American History: ¡Pleibol! online exhibit 

Smithsonian: Heritage & History Month Events 

National Park Service: Telling All American Stories 

Local Events

9/15: Hispanic Heritage Concert with Rockabye Beats @ WPL Main

9/15-9/23: WSU Latino Education Institute Pop Up Exhibit 

9/17: The Trouble with My Name featuring Javier Ávila  

9/18: Ceremonia de Izado de la Bandera Salvadoreña, 3pm @ Worcester City Hall 

9/22: Criándome, Cuidándome: Healing Intergenerational Trauma Through Reparenting our Inner Children 

Kanopy: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th) recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic and Latinx Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. To learn more about this integral part of American history, try one of these films available through Kanopy, a streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card. If you do not have a Kanopy account, you can create one. Click here to get started. If you’ve enjoyed any of these films, or have other suggestions, leave a comment below. 

Los Punks

This film, directed by renowned photographer Angela Boatwright, explores the young, mostly Hispanic, Punk scene in L.A. and finds an undeniably gritty, yet creative environment.

CubAmerican

Spanning the past 60 years of Cuban history, this film discusses universal themes of loss, freedom, assimilation, struggle and triumph through the stories of Cuban exiles that have achieved acclaim in diverse fields in the U.S.A. and beyond. 

I am The Queen

In Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, the Vida/Sida Cacica Pageant brings together members of the Puerto Rican community to celebrate its transgender participants.

Las Marthas 

Follows two young women as they prepare for the annual debutante ball in Laredo, Texas that honors George Washington's birthday. 

Every Child is a Poet 

This film traces Piri Thomas' path from childhood to adulthood in New York City's Spanish Harlem from the 1930s through the 1960s. It explores his parents' immigrant experience, his struggle to come to terms with his mixed racial identity, and his emergence as a writer and acitvist. 

Kanopy: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

 

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Kanopy, a streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card. Explore the contributions, culture, and history of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community with the recommended films below. Click here to view the full list of films curated by Kanopy. Sign in to mywpl.kanopy.com to watch on your computer or download the Kanopy app to watch on your mobile device or smart TV. Click here for instructions on how to create an account. 

Looking for more resources? Check out our Asian and Asian American Mysteries booklist, featuring mystery novels with Asian and Asian American protagonists written by authors of Asian heritage. For art and fashion, try the Books to Enjoy WAM's Kimono Exhibit booklist, celebrating kimonos and other Japanese art inspired by exhibits at the Worcester Art Museum. 

Patsy Mink: Ahead of the majority

Tells the remarkable political journey of an Asian American woman who battled racism and sexism, shattered barriers and redefined American politics.

Pidgin: The voice of Hawaii 

What if you are made to feel ashamed when you speak your "mother tongue" or ridiculed because of your accent? Pidgin: The voice of Hawaii addresses these questions through its lively examination of Pidgin, the language spoken by over half of Hawaii’s people.

The Grace Lee Project 

When filmmaker Grace Lee was growing up in Missouri, she was the only Grace Lee she knew. As an adult, she moved to New York and then California, where everyone she met seemed to know another "Grace Lee." But why did they assume that all Grace Lees were nice, dutiful, piano-playing bookworms? This refreshing film reveals the intriguing contradiction of the "Grace Lee" persona-simultaneously impressive and forgettable, special and generic, an emblem of a subculture and an individual who defies categorization.

Kumu Hina

A transgender Hawaiian school teacher inspires a girl to follow her desires and lead the school's male hula troupe.  

Meet the Patels

In this real-life "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," an Indian-American man who is about to turn 30 gets help from his parents and extended family so he can start looking for a wife the traditional Indian way.

Between the Lines: Asian American Women's Poetry

This documentary offers rare interviews with over 15 major Asian-Pacific American women poets. Organized in interwoven sections such as immigration, language, family, memory, and spirituality, it is a sophisticated merging of Asian-American history and identity with performance, voice, and image.

Kanopy: Celebrating Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day with Kanopy, a streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card. Watch films about the issues our planet faces or dive into the lives of fascinating insects and animals! Sign in to mywpl.kanopy.com to watch on your computer or download the Kanopy app to watch on your mobile device or smart TV. Click here for directions on how to create an account. 

Saving the Dead Sea 

As the Dead Sea shrinks, engineers prepare a daring solution: connect it with the Red Sea by way of a massive desalination plant. If it works, it could stabilize the lake and ease regional tensions, but will it put the environment at risk?

Wilder Than Wild 

Reveals how fuel build-up and climate change have exposed Western woodlands to megafires and how the greenhouse gases released from the fires contribute to global warming. 

The Pollinators 

A journey around the United States following migratory beekeepers and their truckloads of honey bees as they pollinate the flowers that become the fruits, nuts and vegetables we all eat. The many challenges the beekeepers and their bees face en route reveal flaws to our simplified chemically dependent agriculture system. 

Straws

Illustrates how individuals, groups, and businesses around the globe are reducing plastic straw use through education, collaboration, policy development and utilization of non-plastic alternatives. 

Learning to See: The world of insects 

In this documentary shot by photographer Jake Oelman  over a twelve year period, the audience travels deep into the rain forests of South America to discover the world's most exotic insects.

Taking Root

The story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy-a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration.

Kanopy: Spring Screams

It’s April, so that means we’re halfway to Halloween! Have some screams this spring with Kanopy’s impressive selection of horror films. Sign in to mywpl.kanopy.com to watch on your computer or download the Kanopy app to watch on your mobile device or smart TV. Click here for directions on how to create an account with your WPL card.  

Prefer DVDs? Stop by the Main Branch for a Horror DVD Bundle, available at the circulation desk. The titles will be a surprise and are hand selected by our horror-loving librarians! Bundles cannot be reserved. If you'd rather reserve specific titles, please do so through our catalog at mywpl.org. 

Join our Book to Big Screen Discussion Club on Wednesday, April 14 @ 12pm via Zoom for a discussion about "The Haunting of Hill House." Discuss the classic novel by Shirley Jackson and the 2018 Netflix adaptation. Register here. 

Rosemary's Baby 

A young couple moves in to an apartment only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. When the wife becomes pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins to control her life.

The Lighthouse 

Two lighthouse keepers fight each other for survival and sanity on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

Santa Sangre

The story of a young circus performer, the crime of passion that shatters his soul, and the macabre journey back to the world of his armless mother. A masterfully told odyssey of ecstasy and anguish, belief and blasphemy, beauty and madness. 

My Bloody Valentine

Friends defy the rules of a legendary murderer and discover he is real when they start celebrating Valentine's Day.

It Comes at Night 

After a mysterious apocalypse leaves the world with few survivors, two families forced to share a home form an uneasy alliance in an attempt to keep the outside evil at bay. They soon learn that that the true horror may come from within.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Dr. Miles Bennell is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky, and his friend Jack soon discover that the patients' suspicions are true: an alien species of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town.