The Lorraine: A Screening and Conversation with Sam Pollard

Sam Pollard presents a screening of his documentary *The Lorraine*, followed by an onstage conversation with Marjuan Canady. The film explores the history of Memphis’s Lorraine Motel, a Black-owned refuge during segregation and Jim Crow, and looks beyond its association with the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Using archival footage and interviews, the documentary recounts how Walter and Loree Bailey purchased the motel in 1945 and transformed it into a haven for Black travelers guided by *The Green Book*, as well as entertainers connected to Memphis’s Stax Records scene. The program connects the motel’s legacy to the March On! festival theme, “250 Years of Democracy: The Unfinished Story,” considering how Black-owned spaces supported freedom struggles and what their history means today. Pollard’s credits include a Peabody Award, an Emmy for *By the People: The Election of Barack Obama*, and an Academy Award nomination for *4 Little Girls*. The evening begins with remarks from Maryland State Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins.

When: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.

Run time: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, including the screening and conversation

Program: Screening of *The Lorraine*, followed by a discussion with Sam Pollard and Marjuan Canady

Participants: Sam Pollard, filmmaker; Marjuan Canady, Associate Professor of Theatre and Film at Montgomery College

Opening remarks: Maryland State Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins

Presented by: March On!

Partnership: Montgomery College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department and Community Arts Program, Takoma Park/Silver Spring

Tickets: Price not available

Ages: Age guidance was not provided.

Venue: Cultural Arts Center, Montgomery College Silver Spring, Maryland

Address: 7995 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Accessibility: No accessibility information is currently available for this event.