Storming Caesars Palace Screening and Community Conversation

“If you want your life to get better, you’ve got to fight for it!” – Ruby Duncan

Attend a special screening and discussion on the film Storming Caesars Palace. During this free event, watch the award-winning film, hear from filmmaker Hazel Gurland-Pooler, Ruby Duncan’s daughter Sondra Phillips-Gilbert, and more, and connect with community members continuing Ruby Duncan’s legacy here in DC. Before and after the event, participants will have the opportunity to explore the collections of The People’s Archive on the 4th floor, as well as the exhibitions Up from the People (4th floor) and We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC (1st floor).

When Ruby Duncan faces a fraud-obsessed welfare department, she ignites “Mother Power,” – a fiery combination of Feminism and Civil Rights activism – mobilizing her community to fight for dignity and an adequate income in 1970s Las Vegas. Ruby and a coalition of welfare mothers, celebrities and activists take on racist politicians and the Vegas mob to organize a massive protest that shut down Caesars Palace and drew national attention. 

Defying notions of the ‘welfare queen’, Storming Caesars Palace reminds us that it is the disenfranchised who stand up for America’s principle of justice for all. 

About the Event

Storming Caesars Palace celebrates the legacy of Black women leaders in historic movements for civil rights and economic justice. The film’s impact campaign fosters dialogue around efforts to create a thriving care economy, protect low-wage workers, empower children and families, and counter cultural erasure.

Join us to uplift the intergenerational contributions of BIPOC and women-led organizations working to secure dignity for all citizens in DC.

We will be recording audience stories as part of the Our Stories, Our Justice Project, a participatory storytelling project that centers individuals and their communities in a collective effort to (re)produce oral and visual histories that shine light on a continuum of radical leadership by BIPOC women. Reach out to [email protected] if you would like to register to record your short oral history.

In Partnership with: Empower DC, The DC Legacy Project, DC Poor People’s Campaign, D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice, Rising Organizers, Mother’s Outreach Network, Bread for the City, DC, Guaranteed Income Coalition

Information for Educators