Last month, I wrote about a new title in OPT’s library of locally-produced documentaries. If you missed the broadcast premiere of Now Showing-The Life and Times of Springfield Movie Theaters, you can find it at video.optv.org. 

Believe it or not, this month brings the debut of another new local documentary from OPT. Generations: African American Experiences in Springfield and the Ozarks will premiere on Thursday, June 8 at 8pm. The program explores the many ways Black Americans have shaped the fabric of the region, influencing all aspects of life in the Ozarks, despite the historic and ongoing inequities that threaten to undermine those contributions. 

OPT focuses the bulk of our local production efforts on telling stories of the history and culture of the Ozarks. Giving voice to these stories is a great joy for the team that works on them, and a tremendous point of pride for all of Team OPT. I’m always thrilled to celebrate a new addition to the library, and that feeling is magnified when it’s a story – like this one – that hasn’t been told nearly enough. I hope you’ll mark your calendar and join us for the show.   

And, as an important member of Team OPT, I hope you share in the pride and joy of seeing this local documentary come to fruition. Thank you for supporting OPT’s mission to tell the stories of our region. 

Rachel Knight
General Manager