Revolution ’67 Critical Acclaim
“Here in Newark, we partnered with Revolution ’67 to bring this insightful documentary to our community.”
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-Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ
"The viewing of Revolution '67 gave our present commanders a unique retrospective view on the State Police role during the Newark Riots...One of the many things that we have to do is we have to understand the core issues of what precipitates some of the issues and some of the violence that we have to deal with as law enforcement. And understanding these problems is paramount in combatting this activity. To understand the factors that ignited the civil unrest of that time should give us a template now to react differently and to respond differently...With our viewing of this video, it actually emphasized how our response and role would be markedly different."
- Major Gerald Lewis, NJ State Police
"Revolution '67 accurately and effectively captures the mood, the pain, the loss, the ambiguity, the fear and the continuing impact of the violent unrest of the summer of 1967."
- Lonnie G. Bunch, Founding Director, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
“Revolution '67 dramatically reminded us of what I have called 'the awakening.' I was fascinated by every moment of the documentary.”
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-Brendan Byrne, former NJ Governor (Essex County Prosecutor in 1967)
"Revolution '67 is an outstanding treatment of the July 1967 riots in Newark, New Jersey, which left 26 persons dead. The film presents long-term and immediate causes of the riots, and argues that the state police and National Guard actually lengthened the period of violence. On-camera interviews with Kenneth T. Jackson and Tom Hayden are particularly impressive, as is the use of animation in showing events being discussed for which no archival footage survives."
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-American Historical Association, John E. O'Connor Film Award
“An outstanding portrait of the 1967 Newark rebellion - the kind of event that certainly could repeat itself in any US city in the coming period.”
- Chester Hartman, Director of Research, Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Washington, DC
"A powerful film which provides a comprehensive analysis of the events in Newark. It defines the impact of numerous planning decisions at the local, state and federal levels, and the outcome of discriminatory practices in the real estate and finance industries. Should be mandatory viewing for anyone affiliated with Urban Studies or working in the field of Planning."
- Brenda Kayzar, Urban Studies Program, Department of Geography, University of Minnesota
“It is a documentary film like none other! Revolution '67 is a bold, inquisitive, and important contribution...That it sheds light on a complicated narrative about race, power, community agency, and memory secures its place among the finest films of the genre."
- Clement Alexander Price, Rutgers University
"The Newark, New Jersey race riots that erupted in 1967 serve as a microcosm for American issues of race, inequality, idealism, and power in director Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno's thoughtful deconstruction of free love mythology...a balanced perspective of the tragic events that unfolded -under the sweltering summer sun.”
- Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide, The New York Times
"What’s remarkable about Revolution ‘67 is the testimony of the victims and perpetrators, witnesses and respondents...The film can serve as a primer on urban decay and the systematic disenfranchisement of African people."
- Wanda Sabir, The San Francisco Bay View
"Fast-paced, effective and smart...By the end, the director achieves her objective: illustrating how this can happen in any U.S. city, and that the conditions are happening again."
- Steve Echeverria Jr., Herald Tribune
“A six-day spasm of violence that hit Newark, N.J., in 1967 is the prism used to examine the urban rebellions of the decade in Revolution ’67. . . . filmmaker Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno examines the mayhem in a political and social context.”
– Lynn Elber, Associated Press
“Revolution '67 works best in . . . showing exactly how a city could explode. . . . the film effectively destroys the myth that the cops and Guardsmen were under attack from snipers. . . . Tibaldo-Bongiorno does a fine job of painting a picture of what brought Newark to the point of riot. . .”
– Alan Sepinwall, The Star-Ledger
“Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno looks at [an] urban confrontation and conflagration, in Newark,
to tell a wider story.”
– David Bianculli, New York Daily News
"Stunning...Tibaldo-Bongiorno, a Newark resident, strikes an artful balance in Revolution ’67, filming historians, politicians, activists, artists law enforcement officials and journalists whose attitudes rage from anger to wisdom about the causes and aftermath of the July 1967 uprising.”
– Eleanor O’Sullivan, Asbury Park Press
"A powerful look at the urban riots of the 1960s, particularly the bloody one that occurred in the city of Newark, New Jersey, that galvanized all spectrums of the American public and created an imperative for political and social change in the crumbling African-American communities that were not participating in the bounty and promise of the American dream. Film festival as history lesson...where do I sign up?"
- Sandy Mandelberger, Sarasota FF Online Dailies Editor
“As the film unfolds, a picture is sketched of factors that practically made the riots inevitable.”
– Claudia Perry, The Star-Ledger
"The New Jersey Council for the Humanities is pleased to support Revolution '67, as it thoughtfully examines a critical moment in Newark's history through the voices and experiences of the people who lived through it, as well as the interpretation of premier scholars."
- The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NEH)
"The Prudential Foundation is proud of its support for Revolution '67. This documentary sheds light on the power of memory and the complexity of life in Newark in the 1960s and tells the story of a time when our cities became arenas of civic and racial discord."
- Gabriella Morris, President, The Prudential Foundation, Vice President, Community Resources
"PSEG has been pleased to support Revolution '67, and we congratulate the filmmakers on its continual growth and expansion."
- Jo Ann Dow-Breslin, Manager-Community Affairs, PSEG Services Corporation
“Verizon supported Revolution ‘67 because it provided a visual narrative to the defining moment of the City of Newark. This powerful film provided both understanding, and answered questions of root causes leading to the Newark riots while generating further debate and questions. Verizon is proud to support Revolution ‘67 as an instrument of learning and healing.”
- Sam Delgado, VP Verizon External Affairs
"As a corporate resident of Newark since our company's inception in 1932, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey has a deep connection and love for the city. We believe the city's best days are ahead and we're proud to support this excellent [Revolution ‘67] documentary tracing Newark's history and hopes for the future."
- Larry Altman, Executive Director, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey
“Bongiorno Productions has created an excellent film, Revolution ‘67. The Yip Harburg Foundation feels pride and closure in knowing that this fine film can now be distributed around the United States in the high schools, colleges, and film houses. We here at the Yip Harburg Foundation strongly recommend everyone’s use of this film for informing and entertaining the next generation of the facts about how Newark contributed to the Civil Rights Revolution in the United States in the 60s and 70s.”
- Ernest Harburg, President, The Yip Harburg Foundation
“Revolution ’67 gives a completely different picture of the Summer of Love, which was also the summer of riots in places like Newark, N.J.”
– Robert Philpot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“It is clearly a film made by somebody who feels a personal attachment to the area.”
– Charlie Olsky, indieWIRE
“Revolution '67 is, among other things, a concise study of machine politics underpinned by the greatest democracy killer of all — corruption. As the epilogue to this award-winning documentary painfully demonstrates, corruption is equal opportunity abuse, oblivious to skin color."
- Mark Eden, Director of Voicings, St. Cloud, MN
“Civic Frame is screening and moderating panel discussions of Revolution '67 nationally to stimulate conversation, community, and personal reflection among filmmakers, scholars, decision makers, activists, and the general public. This documentary allows participants to examine the weight and gravity of significant historical events that have shaped the current state of urban cities in America. It is a discussion that many communities are longing to have, and Revolution '67 is the perfect film to spark such a dialogue.”
- April Yvonne Garrett, Founder and President, Civic Frame
“I saw an important documentary at the Museum of the Moving Image called Revolution ’67. . . [The filmmakers] document the account of various people from all sides of the story. . .”
– The Film Panel Notetaker blog
“Revolution '67 focuses on the explosive urban rebellion in Newark, New Jersey, in July 1967, to reveal the long-standing racial, economic, and political forces which generated inner city poverty and perpetuate it today. Newark residents, police, officials, and urban commentators, including writer/activist Amiri Baraka, journalist Bob Herbert, prominent historians, and ‘60s activist Tom Hayden, recount the vivid, day-to-day details of the uprising.”
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-NJVID - New Jersey's Digital Video Repository