Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS
Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS is a podcast launched in 2026 on W. E. B. Du Bois’ birthday, February 23. It is grounded in the belief that every Black person in America deserves to be seen, heard, and respected for their lived understanding of what it means to be Black in this country.
The series explores how personal stories become collective memory, and how history is too often erased, distorted, or left untaught. Reclaiming and telling these narratives ourselves is a powerful act of leadership, guiding the historical narrative as the griots we were always meant to be. Now more than ever, this is an urgent cultural act of truth.
Moving beyond dates and documented facts, the podcast centers truth as lived experience. It explores the emotional, spiritual, and generational perspectives, revealing the depth, complexity, and resilience of Black life. Through intimate conversations, historical reflection, and contemporary voices, Our Truth, Our History, Our Story creates a space where memory is preserved, identity is affirmed, and the fullness of Black humanity is honored.
Our Truth Our History Our Story: Our THS
Taking W.E.B. Du Bois to LightReel Film Festival | Why Festivals Still Matter
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Taking W.E.B. Du Bois to LightReel Film Festival | Why Festivals Still Matter
What makes film festivals so important—for filmmakers, audiences, and the future of storytelling?
In this special field episode of Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS), award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn takes listeners along to Washington, D.C.'s LightReel Film Festival, where W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause screened as the Closing Night Film. From airport departures and festival venues to conversations with filmmakers, audiences, and festival founder Tim Gordon, Rita shares an inside look at the role film festivals play in building community, launching careers, and creating opportunities for stories to be seen.
Along the way, she offers practical advice to an emerging filmmaker, reflects on the enduring relevance of W.E.B. Du Bois, and explains why film festivals remain one of the most important spaces for independent filmmakers and film lovers alike.
In This Episode
- Traveling from Chicago to Washington, D.C. for the LightReel Film Festival
- Meeting festival founder Tim Gordon
- Exploring the Union Market District and festival atmosphere
- Why every film festival has its own personality and purpose
- Practical filmmaking advice for emerging storytellers
- The importance of networking, mentorship, and audience engagement
- Rita's post-screening conversation about the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois
- Why film festivals are essential for filmmakers seeking audiences and opportunities
- How festivals expose audiences to stories from around the world
Key Moments
00:00 – Heading to Washington, D.C. for the LightReel Film Festival
01:32 – Meeting festival founder Tim Gordon
01:49 – What makes film festivals unique
03:10 – Advice for an aspiring filmmaker
04:08 – Audience Q&A: The enduring legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois
05:42 – Exploring the Union Market District
05:58 – Why film festivals matter for filmmakers
07:20 – Rita's recommendation for filmmakers and film lovers
08:05 – Closing reflections on storytelling and media
Memorable Quote
"Film festivals are for the filmmakers first and foremost. Otherwise there would be some films that would never have an audience."
📣 Resources / Links
Watch W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause on American Masters
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/
Watch the W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM
Learn more about Kathryn Bostic
https://www.kathrynbostic.com
Watch Our Truth, Our History, Our Story on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240
Listen to the podcast
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes
Transcript available here
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323
Stay connected with Rita Coburn
https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia
Upcoming events and screenings
https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events
Download event photos
https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos
Social Media Toolkit
https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit
Featured Film
W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause
Written, Produced & Directed by Rita Coburn
About Our THS
Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today. Through conversations with artists, scholars, filmmakers, historians, and changemakers, the series uncovers the stories that inspire, challenge, and connect us.
Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn, Our THS creates space for meaningful conversations about history, culture, creativity, and the stories that define who we are.
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If you enjoy the podcast, please share it with a friend, leave a review, and join us for future episodes of Our Truth, Our History, Our Story.
YouTube Music by Damien Sebe - vintage - https://thmatc.co/?l=643AC1F9
I'm Rita Coburn, and I want to talk to you today about film festivals. We're on our way to Washington, D.C., to the Light Reel Film Festival. We're leaving Midway Airport in Chicago and going to the Union Market District of Washington, D.C., where we'll stay in a boutique hotel where, like most film festivals, a lot of things are within walking distance. We're here at a Lightdale Film Festival. And what I love about that is Tim Ford, African American, has put this film festival together. And that's no easy task. So as we look at film festivals to support, this film festival in Washington, DC is one of those. It deserves our support in so many ways. And so we're gonna have a great time here. I'm here with my love Sacre, Andrew Tart, husband, and me in store there. And we're about to explore DC, gonna take you with us, and we're gonna get to this fellow festival. Looking forward to seeing a lot of great films and glad to be the closing night for this wonderful festival. Thanks for choosing us. W.E.B. Du Bois, Rebel with the Cause. We bumped into Tim Gordon at the hotel.
SPEAKER_01And who are you? I'm Tim Gordon, founder and festival director of the Light Real Film Fest.
SPEAKER_02The Light Real Film Festival is six years old, and each film festival has a personality. Some like Sundance, the most well-known, are places you go to sell a film. They promote opportunities for networking and sales, have a lot of celebrities on hand, and have a large amount of films. But most film festivals have wonderful panels, talkbacks after the screenings of the film, and some of these films are ready and available to watch, others are trying to find a home. Filmmakers can learn more about their craft and they can meet people that can support them in their career. There are also opportunities for local and national media. And all these things support the filmmakers. But when a film comes to a neighborhood or city, they offer a sneak peek for the public on films that may make it and may not. We hope they all do. And they provide a local public and the filmmakers, a way to see films from different parts of the world. At this festival, we took a walk just to check out the venue and bumped into a woman who wanted some advice, a young filmmaker wanting advice from me. And that's in part what film festivals are all about. So get the audio two or three different ways. Like just have them sit in there, let one person talk through all their lines, shoot 'em. Then let the other person talk through all their lines, shoot 'em. You can put it together later. Then let them do it the way that they would normally do. Because when you are shooting that scene and spending your money, the last thing you want to do is come back and not have everything you need. So take it a couple of times. Okay. And then they can put the sound back in it later. That's you. Thank you for telling me that I appreciate that. After we screened W.E.B. Du Bois Rebel with a cause for the closing night, I had an opportunity to discuss the film as well.
SPEAKER_00So one of the one of the lines or one of the things that that struck me when I initially watched it is a and there's no ring time for anybody to ever transition, but the fact that he transitioned literally on the eve of the march on Washington, and Roy Wilkins, you hear that final speech saying, If you really want to understand the Souls of Life, folks, read a book that he wrote that was 16 years that predated that. What does that speak to about the legacy of whoy's was and then how that impacted us moving forward to today?
SPEAKER_02Well, I think that it's very significant. And I think, like Kamala Harris said, I'm I'm speaking, I am speaking, De Voice is still speaking. DeVoyce was speaking to die on the eve of the march on Washington, handing the baton to Martin Luther King with the I Have a Dream speech being there. Um, he's speaking now because in 2022, when I started this process, the world was a different place. And so for this documentary to come out in 2026, when our history is being assaulted, uh he's he's it's not a comeback for him. He's been speaking all this time, and he's continuing to speak and to tell us how important we are to this country, to ourselves. The Union Market area of Washington, DC, has changed a lot. I saw it 10 years ago, and today it is home of the Light Real Film Festival, and we're about to go see some shorts. I think this film festival, like most film festivals, are really for the filmmaker. The filmmaker needs a place to showcase their word. So as you make films, it's important for you to be able to have those films go out to a wide audience. So you can't go wrong coming to a film festival. Now there are going to be people that are going to come and watch your films. You're going to get the reaction from those people, which will also help to inform you. But you also have a place to showcase your films. So film festivals are for the filmmakers first and foremost. Otherwise, there would be some films that would never have an audience. And once that audience happens, you can't even tell it where to go. So we're hoping to meet people here, and we have met people, and we're hoping to take W.E.B. Du Bois, Rebel with the Cause to another level from this festival. And already we've met a lot of people, and we feel like those people will be helpful to the film. Please take an opportunity to go to a film festival near you. I have been to film festivals where people travel every year just to come and immerse themselves in films. I've done Maya Angelo and Still I Rise as a co-director. And now W.E.B. Du Bois, Rebel with the Cause, as producer, writer, and director. I recommend film festivals for film lovers as well as filmmakers, as we hone our craft, as we use media to make statements in the world, as we use media to provide entertainment. Thank you for listening to our truth, our history, our story, and enjoy some good films.