NST Law is proud to be a sponsor of the 4th Annual WLOK Black Film Festival! The 2019 festival was held August 29 – September 1, 2019. WLOK was the first African-American owned electronic media outlet in Memphis, and the festival featured films illustrating events with social significance relating to the black experience in America.
The festival held events at locations across Memphis, including the National Civil Rights Museum, Pink Palace, Stax, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Studio on the Square. The events featured a screening of a movie followed by a panel discussion of family and social issues shown in the films. Participants were able to view films such as “Widows,” “Dreamgirls” (featuring Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy), “The Hate U Give,” and “Green Book.” Invited to speak at the panel following “Green Book” were Congressman Steve Cohen and Congressman John Lewis.
WLOK’s origins trace back to 1956, and WLOK was the second Memphis radio station to offer programming entirely dedicated to a black audience. WLOK continued to grow throughout the 1960s, wich popular DJs like Dick “Cane” Cole and “Hunky Doring” on the airwaves. Serving the community has always been part of WLOK’s mission, partnering with the NAACP and civil rights organizations such as Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity). In 1977, Art Gilliam purchased the station which made it the first black-owned radio station in Memphis (as well as the first locally-owned station). In 1997, the Tennessee Historical Commission designated WLOK as a Tennessee Historical Landmark. NST Law is proud to support WLOK, the 2019 Black Film Festival, and WLOK’s mission of promoting equal rights for all.