Windham World Affairs Council will screen the film “From Sea to Shining Sea: Katherine Lee Bates and the Story of America the Beautiful” on Sunday, October 19, at 5:30 p.m. at 118 Elliot St. in Brattleboro. The screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker John de Graaf.

“America The Beautiful” may be America’s most beloved song, yet few know about the fascinating life of its author Katharine Lee Bates. “From Sea to Shining Sea” tells the story of this poet, Wellesley College professor, and social reformer, beginning with her childhood in Falmouth. She became an anti-imerialist who fought for the rights of women, workers, people of color, tenement residents, and immigrants.

As we count down to the United States’ 250th anniversary, this film invites us to recommit to the ideals Bates embedded in her timeless anthem, which celebrates both the country’s natural beauty and its philosophical commitments. While acknowledging that the United States has often not lived up to its ideals, the poem honors the unbroken chain of Americans who have strived to make it all it can be. It is a powerful reminder that making America beautiful requires justice, empathy, and civic courage.

The 37-minute film will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker John de Graaf. He is an acclaimed author, filmmaker, speaker and activist with a mission to help create a happy, healthy and sustainable quality of life for America. Over more than forty years, he has produced and directed 50 films, including 15 prime time PBS specials, which have won more than 100 regional, national and international awards. He is the author of four books, including Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic. The John de Graaf Environmental Filmmaking Award, named for him, is presented annually at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in California.

This program is part of the America 250 Series, a collaboration with Brooks Memorial Library, Windham World Affairs Council, Vermont Independent Media (publisher of The Commons), 118 Elliot, and it is made possible, in part, through a generous grant from the Vermont Humanities Council. There is a suggested donation of $10, however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Advanced tickets can be reserved at https://PurpleMountain.eventbrite.com

The Windham World Affairs Council was founded in 1961 to bring the world to Windham County. It is the smallest of the World Affairs Councils of America and has an all-volunteer board. It hosts lectures, films, and other events on global topics, as well as a monthly Members’ Salon, where members and their guests gather informally to discuss topics of the day. For further information about future events, or if you would like to consider joining the board, visit https://windhamworldaffairscouncil.org/.