Help us complete the Tougaloo Nine Documentary!

My name is Jeff Mckinney, owner of Early Riser Films and the director of the Tougaloo Nine documentary. The film is currently in post-production and we need your help!

In June of 2019, while on a civil rights tour of historic Tougaloo College in Jackson Mississippi, I learned about the relatively unknown story of the first civil rights action in the state of Mississippi. I was moved by their story and wanted to make their story more well-known. I, along with a great crew, set out to interview the members of this courageous group of nine college students. My goal was to have them tell the story in their own words and relay their thoughts and feelings about what they went through. With the onset of the Covid pandemic, we had to readjust and find new ways to get their interviews and tell their story. We now have a rough edit of the film and we need your help to finish it!

The funds will be used to cover travel costs to go back to Jackson MS to get additional B-roll shots, cover the costs of re-enactment scenes, and cover the costs of obtaining historical footage and photos from the Mississippi Dept of Archives & History. We also will use the funds to cover the costs of Film Festival submissions.