Rosenwald

Chances are you‘ve never heard of Julius Rosenwald, but he may well be one of the most important figures of the American 20th century. Aviva Kempner tells the astonishing and heartening true story of the Jewish Chicago businessman whose towering generosity left a lasting legacy for generations to come. Rosenwald amassed a tremendous fortune as part-owner of Sears, Roebuck & Co. in the 1890s. But rather than rollick in his riches, Rosenwald devoted 1/3 of his income to philanthropy. In the early 20th century, feeling a kinship with persecuted peoples, he partnered with Booker T. Washington to build more than 5,000 schools for African-American children in the south during the Jim Crow era—educating the generation that would give birth to the Civil Rights movement. His schools, affordable housing complexes, and artistic fellowships touched the lives of a staggering number of modern black leaders and luminaries including Langston Hughes, Marian Anderson, Ralph Ellison, and Quincy Jones. “Rosenwald” is an enlightening portrait of a man who set a profound and important example, and whose extraordinary impact is still felt today. In Person: Director Aviva Kempner.