USM Screens “The Exchange in White America” Film

University School of Milwaukee hosted a showing of the documentary film “The Exchange in White America: Kaukauna and King 50 Years Later” on Thursday, Jan. 18. The film’s producer and director, Joanne Williams, was present at the screening and answered questions from the audience. Williams is a native of Milwaukee who graduated from Rufus King High School in 1967.

The film documents the experiences of a group of students at Rufus King and Kaukauna High Schools who participated in an exchange program in 1966. The participants also performed the groundbreaking play “In White America” in both cities. 

 “This all began when I was cleaning out my garage in 2016, and I came across a box marked ‘high school stuff,’” said Williams. “There was one copy of my high school newspaper. It was an issue with a headline that said, ‘Kids from Kaukauna Come to King.’ And I realized, when I saw the date, it had been 50 years ago, in 1966. I figured I must have kept that newspaper so long for some reason, and that’s how I got started.”

The event was supported by the school’s Parents of Students of Color (POSOC) group, and organized by Rochelle Robinson, USM parent and POSOC co-chair, and Shanee McCoy, USM’s director of inclusion. “I'm positive that you're going to be moved by this film,” said McCoy to the audience. “And what I'm hoping is that those feelings turn into words and those words turn into conversation, and those conversations turn into action. That’s what helps move the needle and make sure that our students are well supported.”

The film has screened at several film festivals around the country, including the Milwaukee Film festival, and has won several awards. The film will air on Milwaukee PBS, on Feb. 14, 2024, at 10 p.m.