The new release of Journeys in the Light was previewed at First Parish Brewster UU on Sunday, February 12. Under its new title, JOURNEYS IN THE LIGHT, Democracy, Diversity, and Myth in the Wake of the Mayflower, the one-hour documentary presents a unique perspective on four centuries of history since the arrival of European settlers in this region.
The film’s creators look beyond the iconic Euro-centric Mayflower story to present highlights in the history of African Americans, Cape Verdeans, Wampanoags, and other People of Color here. At the same time, they find in the outright conflict aboard the Mayflower, and the ultimate Mayflower Compact, powerful relevance for the divided America of today. Journeys in the Light tells its tale through the eyes, historical research, and works of art of the vibrant community surrounding Zion Union Heritage Museum in Hyannis. Notable among the historical resources are the writings of long-time civil rights activist Dolores Daluz.
This Black History Month program included a brief introduction by the filmmaker, Janet Murphy Robertson, with a special tribute to John L. Reed, her collaborator in the creation of this film, who passed away several days before the event. Robin Joyce Miller read a moving tribute to Mr. Reed written by Massachusetts Representative Kip Diggs. After the screening, Janet Robertson was joined for Q & A by Ms. Miller, who contributed research, commentary, poetry, and history-inspired works of art to the film. The poetry of Robin’s husband James W. Miller is also featured.
Journeys in the Light is produced by Janet Murphy Robertson of ArtistsAndMusicians.org in collaboration with Zion Union Heritage Museum. In addition to Robin Joyce Miller, the featured artists include Carl Lopes, Pamela Chatterton Purdy, Joe Diggs, Michael Alfano, Sean Cassidy, Vasco Pires, and many others. Artwork by Robin, Lee Roscoe's new book Wampanoag Art through the Ages, Traditional and Transitional, and other items will be available for purchase at the event.
Robin Joyce Miller
Robin Joyce Miller is a retired educator, artist, author, poet and public speaker, who taught for 30+ years in the NYC school system. She spent the first half of her career teaching learning-disabled students and the next half as an art teacher. Robin was also a NYC Blueprint for the Arts Facilitator, leading workshops at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum. She is a recipient of the NYC and NY State Region 8 Art Educator of the Year Award.
After retirement she and her husband have maintained two residences in NYC and Cape Cod. After George Floyd’s murder, Robin and her husband, James, began presenting a BLM series with the Cotuit Center for the Arts. These programs are available to the public on Cotuit on Demand - YouTube. She is also on the Board of Directors at the Cotuit Center. Robin has served as a volunteer and resident artist at the Zion Union Heritage Museum, Hyannis since 2013. You can view more of Robin’s work on www.robinjoycemillerart.com.
Janet Murphy Robertson
Janet Murphy Robertson is the documentarian for Zion Union Heritage Museum where, in addition to Journeys in the Light, she produced the film documenting Pamela Chatterton-Purdy and Rev. Dr. David A. Purdy’s magnificent art and historical exhibition Icons of the Civil Rights Movement. Janet is also Executive Director of ArtistsAndMusicians.org, the producer of Shoestring Virtual Theater, as well as stage plays, concerts, and other cultural events. Shoestring’s 2022 film shorts titled Four Plays for a Planet in Peril (Filmmaker: Janet Murphy Robertson; Writer/Director: Lee Roscoe) have been recognized by the LA Independent Shorts Awards and the Chelsea Film Festival where Part IV: The Warninghad its New York premiere in October 2022. Janet works collaboratively with clients on the whole range of activities vital to successful productions— from photography, videography, sound effects, set design, editing, and scoring to marketing, PR, and business planning.
Janet's additional production credits include several highly successful runs of A Woman's Heart by Judith Partelow and the musical version by Judith Partelow and Dana McCoy; Three Viewings by Jeffrey Hatcher; Sorry Wrong Number by Lucille Fletcher; The House of Atreus: From Tantalus through the Trial of Orestes by Elsa Bastone; Mick Ryan's Lament by Robert Emmet Dunlap and Kathi Taylor, and many other plays and concerts.
Before coming to the Cape in 2007, Janet was a senior consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Vice President of two major retail companies, and President of the retail consulting firm Ogden Associates. She earned her BA at Vassar College, where she majored in Philosophy, and did graduate work at Drew University and the University of Paris (Nanterre).