Circle Cinema’s Black Film Council invites the community to come dressed in 1920s period costumes for a screening of Eddie Murphy’s “Harlem Nights” on Feb. 28, the last day of Black History Month.
Harlem Nights is a classic film with Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor taking viewers inside New York City’s illegal gambling, competition, gangster and corrupt cop environment set during the 1930s. The film showed the elegance and wealth of Black people reminiscient of Historic Greenwood District, home to the original Black Wall Street.
Ahead of the screening, guests will participate in a costume party in the lobby of Circle Cinema at 6 p.m. It will feature trivia team contests based on the dialog, characters, and background of the film. The screening starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $15, and they can be purchased on Circle Cinema’s website. Participation in the costume party requires $5 extra payable in cash at the event.
“During that timeframe it was a lot of discrimination, a lot of racism, a lot of things that we could not go and be, but Harlem Nights defied all of that,” Black Film Council member and award-winning filmmaker Dr. Tamecca Rogers told the Black Wall Street Times.
She said the wealth and prestige of Black people in Harlem Nights reminded the selection team of the brilliance of Black Wall Street and Oklahoma’s history of having over 50 all-Black towns, the most of any state.
“We did everything our way. That’s like a fantasy you can get lost in, and it doesn’t have to be a fantasy,” she said.
“Harlem Nights” comes to Greenwood
Light refreshments will be available, and a cash bar will feature 1920s themed drinks. Meanwhile, local DJ and music artist Omaley B will provide the tunes to take you back to the era.
Hank Byrd, a nationally recognized screenwriter, and Dr. Tamecca Rogers, a filmmaker who leads a youth training camp, are two members of Circle Cinema Black Film Council who will present the event.
The Council focuses on empowering Black filmmakers, artists, and storytellers through fostering creativity, collaboration, and equitable representation in the film and media industries. Through education, mentorship, and community engagement, the group works to inspire the next generation of creators and ensure that Circle Cinema presents Black stories authentically, unapologetically, and with lasting impact.
“It’s about impacting the whole community and just being able to–in times like this–be positive and be able to celebrate each other.
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