Monday, February 22, 2021,
7 pm
Online. Go to https://zoom.us/join. Then enter Meeting ID: 815 4900 8590 and Passcode: 654892.
Starring Clarence Avant and Quincy Jones, this documentary follows the life of Clarence Avant, the ultimate, uncensored mentor and behind-the-scenes rainmaker in music, film, TV, and politics.
In the last 60 years, if there was a deal that involved black music talent, black culture or civil rights, Avant, now 88, was either the genesis, in the room, or on the conference call when it all went down.
Reggie Hudlin, director of the documentary, said that what captivated him about Avant was that he is a “hidden figure” who has played a crucial role in American history for decades.
“He’s a black man who has converted black artistic excellence into leverage for economic success and political clout,” Hudlin told NBC News. “Now he’s a role model to a whole new generation who aspire to his level of achievement – not just in business, but in philanthropy as well.”
The journey of Avant from a son of the segregated South, who never went beyond the ninth grade, to the corridors of cultural and political power is testament to an indomitable will and the magic of what some dismiss as a soft skill — the building and maintaining of relationships.