C. Vann Woodward, Professor of History, Yale University

The Uprising of '34 tells the story of the General Textile Strike of 1934, a massive but little-known strike led by hundreds of thousands of Southern cotton mill workers during the Great Depression. The mill workers' defiant stance -and the remarkable grassroots organizing that led up to it- challenged a system of mill owner control that had shaped life in cotton mill communities for decades.

After three weeks, the strike was stopped... put down with intimidation, national guards, and even murder. Many of its leaders and participants were fired, blacklisted, evicted from their homes, and ostracized from their communities.

Sixty years later, a dark cloud still hangs over this event. Even in the towns where it took place, The Uprising of '34 is spoken of only in whispers, if at all. And for those who do know about it, a mythology has spread which tells only of danger and violence.

Through the voices of people on all sides of the remarkable story, and a rare portrait of the dynamics of life in mill communities, The Uprising of '34 offers a penetrating look at class, race, and power in working communities throughout America, and invites the viewer to consider how those issues affect us today.

The Uprising of '34 raises critical questions about the role of history in our lives, prompting viewers to ask: Why don't I know this? Why didn't my grandmother tell me? Who decides what is history? Whose history gets taught?

The Uprising of '34 is a compelling story about how the past is always with us, and how an understanding of our history is essential to making democracy work today.