From February 1 to 2, 2013, Academy Award director Oliver Stone and American University history professor Peter Kuznick participated in a series of events in the Puerto Rican community in Chicago. They came to Chicago to screen and discuss The Untold History of the United States, which is the title of the book they co-authored and the ten-part documentary series they produced that was most recently shown on Showtime.
On February 1, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) and the Illinois Coalition against Torture (ICAT) jointly sponsored a program, “Empire, Colonialism, and Torture” at Roberto Clemente High School. Marcey Sorenson, the principal, welcomed the overflow crowd of more than 700 people to the school. Margaret Power, the m.c., introduced the program and the speakers. Peter Kuznick introduced the film that was shown, Vietnam, LBJ, and the Third World by explaining what had transpired in the previous episodes of the series. The powerful film offered both a coherent overview of U.S. aggression in Vietnam and telling details of its brutality. It also, however, placed the U.S. war in Vietnam in the context of U.S. intervention in Indonesia, Brazil, and Chile to illustrate the global reach and impact of U.S. imperialism in the 1960s and early 1970s. Following the film, Oliver Stone, Peter Kuznick, and historian José López discussed the film and responded to questions from the audience. Stone and Kuznick also sold and signed copies of their book, and generously donated all profits to the PRCC and ICAT. Saturday, February 2, Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick spoke at a press conference held at the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (IPRAC). They then attended a luncheon hosted by IPRAC and the PRCC. When Peter Kuznick spoke at the luncheon, he thanked the Puerto Rican community for its warm welcome and said he now felt himself to be part of the community and looked forward to future activities together.
Margrett Power
