By: SCETV
Downing of a Flag, a two-hour, two-part documentary film that focuses on the history of the Confederate Battle flag and its impact on the people, politics, and perceptions of South Carolina and beyond, has been nominated to receive a prestigious Peabody Award.
As a Peabody Awards Nominee, Downing of a Flag joins the ranks of the best storytelling in broadcasting and digital media. Out of nearly 1,300 entries, 60 are chosen as Nominees and 30 are selected as Winners. Final award Winners will be announced by Peabody in June 2022.
Respected for its integrity and revered for its standards of excellence, the Peabody Award is an honor for television, podcast/radio, and digital media. Chosen each year by a diverse Board of Jurors through unanimous vote, Peabody Awards are given in the categories of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children's and youth, public service, and multimedia programming. Being a Peabody Award Nominee is an opportunity to celebrate everyone involved with the making of Downing of a Flag and the issues it addresses—from the talent both in front of and behind the camera, to the studios and networks that helped bring it to life.
With firsthand interviews featuring various perspectives and a wealth of historical footage, Downing of a Flag traces the symbol’s controversial relationship with the Palmetto State, the South and the nation, exploring its true meaning and how a racially-motivated 2015 church shooting, which killed State Senator Rev. Clementa Pinckney and eight black parishioners, served as the catalyst for the flag's long-debated removal. A co-production between South Carolina ETV (SCETV), Strategic Films and Susie Films, Downing of a Flag features interviews with current and former political figures, activists, and historians. In 2021, SCETV and the ETV Endowment of South Carolina hosted a series of community engagement events across the state to celebrate the national release of the documentary. At each event, select segments of the film were shown, and a panel discussed the segments with audience members. As a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)-distributed project, Downing of a Flag is available for streaming on the PBS app and on PBS.org. For more information on SCETV, visit www.scetv.org.
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