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Symbols of Resistance illuminates the untold stories of the Chican@ Movement with a focus on Colorado and Northern New Mexico. This film engages the importance of student activism; the effect of police repression and how issues of identity, land and community still resonate in the Chican@ struggles of today. Our in-depth examination of this historical moment arose from a major 40th anniversary program in Denver in 2014 to honor the martyrs of the 1970s, including six student activists who were killed in two car bombings in Boulder (los seis de Boulder). Our commitment to recognizing the lesser known stories of the martyrs of the Chicano Movement unveils an important component of the Chican@ struggle that is often not well understood-that the movement was not limited to organizing agricultural workers. It shows how conflicts with government included resisting unprovoked police violence in urban areas and many protests against systemic language discrimination, judicial discrimination, disproportionate imprisonment, and the lack of educational and employment opportunities. By bringing attention to the efforts of UMAS on the campus of UC Boulder; the leadership of women in labor struggles and the importance of youth as the catalyst for the movement, we will be able not only to illuminate new dimensions of history but draw more robust connections to the contemporary situation. Through interviews with those who shaped the movement and rare historical footage, Symbols of Resistances offers a window into a dynamic moment in history and movement building.
PM Press