A new Bloody Monday documentary produced and directed by a local man will have a public viewing on June 30. The documentary titled “The Movement” was produced and directed by Hurt resident Jonathan Parker and his company Parker Productions.

During the production of the film Parker spoke with 17 people who lived through that era and were impacted by Bloody Monday. Among the interviewees were the late Apostle Lawrence Campbell Sr. and City Councilman Sherman Saunders. Danville historian, Karice Luck-Brimmer served as the historical consultant for the documentary.

June 10 was the 60th anniversary of Bloody Monday in Danville. On that day in 1963 38 protestors were arrested at city hall as they protested segregation and racial inequality. That night about 50 protestors gathered at the Danville jail to have a prayer vigil for the protestors that had been arrested earlier that day.

During the vigil the protestors were attacked by police officers and deputized city workers with nightsticks and fire hoses. 47 black protestors were injured during the attack.

Parker got the idea to do the documentary after reading an article in the Washington Post in 2020 and realized that many people weren’t familiar with Bloody Monday. The documentary has a run time of 80 minutes.

There will be a free public viewing for the documentary on June 30 at 6 pm at Bibleway Cathedral. Parker does have plans on distributing the documentary to a wider audience, but is still determining the best way to do that.