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Southern Gentleman, Southern Journalist, Southern Courage and the Fight for Civil Rights: The Story of Ira B. Harkey, Jr. a documentary by: Crystal Eye Entertainment, LLC with Gonzaflex Film Production, Inc. a project sponsored by The O'Keefe Educational Media Group Throughout history it was the strong-willed individual that was relied upon to further a cause, to support humanitarian ideals in the face of adversity, to take on huge responsibilities and fight the powers that be to challenge the prevailing beliefs and concepts. Ira B. Harkey, Jr. is one of these extraordinary individuals. During a time when so few managed to accomplish so much and to do it against the social mores of the time, Ira Harkey stands out as one of the most interesting journalists who counseled reason during those years. A true hero...a white southern born newspaperman who went against the prevailing tide of racism during the 1950's and 1960's, Harkey used his Mississippi newspaper to fight racial violence and champion equal rights. He was a passionate advocate for integration during the segregationist years - not just as a legal issue, but as a moral one. He used biting humor and rapier wit in his battle against bigotry and racial bias. He was a persistent critic of his own land in his own land during those turbulent years because, "I had the feeling I could make a difference."
It is with great saddness we announce that Ira B. Harkey, Jr. has passed away. January 15, 1918 - October 08, 2006 On a brief note, the documentary project on this remarkable man was set back over a year due to the serious nature of Hurricane Katrina, as most of Ira Harkey’s fascinating story took place on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Due to Katrina, many of the people associated with the documentary no longer reside on the coast; they have been uprooted from their homes or just plain had to get their lives back together. The producers and the fiscal sponsor were among those affected with home damage and equipment losses. Several key locations associated with Mr. Harkey’s life were destroyed or badly damaged by the storm, which added yet another major setback. But now, although sad about the passing of Ira Harkey, we have passed the one year anniversary of this terrible storm. Crystal Eye Entertainment is gearing back up to pursue the production of this documentary full force. We were blessed to have captured many hours of valuable footage for this film in an interview with Ira in December of 2004. All of us are heartbroken that Ira did not live to see the documentary about his life completed.  Click the photo to sign the Ira Harkey Guestbook.
For individual donations of $1000 or more tho donor's name will be entered into a drawing for an all expense paid trip to Los Angeles for two for the premier screening of The Ira Harkey Story. This will include round trip airfare, hotel, transportation, and attendance to the screening and after screening party. |
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