On June 23, there will be a screening of the award winning film, "Isaac Pope: The Spirit of an American Century" in Philadelphia as part of New Freedom Theatre's first Juneteenth celebration. For the post-screening discussion there will be people with ties to Heritage House, which in the 1960s was the Black cultural center founded by Eugene Wayman Jones, the remarkable activist and composer who is prominently featured in the film. Heritage House was located where New Freedom Theatre is now. Pope and Jones served together in WWII at the Battle of the Bulge in the 969th Field Artillery Battalion, becoming close friends despite their very different backgrounds. The 969th was the first Black unit the Army "allowed" to go into battle in WWII and was the first to win a Presidential Citation for Meritorious Service at the Bulge.
The film has been rated an average of 5 out of 5 by a wide range of audiences.