Truth Tellers is a film about American Courage. Artist/activist Robert Shetterly has painted over 250 portraits of great Americans and etched inspiring quotes into the backgrounds of each. From the fight to remove symbols of hate to sustainability and climate activism, and from whistleblowing to the rights of indigenous people, Shetterly uses his art to explore these activists’ response to some of the most pressing issues of our time.
From contemporary activists for racial justice Bree Newsome, Zyahna Bryant and Rev. Lennox Yearwood, to climate activists Bill McKibben, Kelsey Juliana, and Bill Bigelow, Shetterly puts them in the context of our great civil rights leaders John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer and Bayard Rustin.
Truth Tellers is both a story of Shetterly’s art and activism and a history lesson of what is required of a citizen in a democracy.
TRUTH TELLERS
Truth Tellers is a new documentary film chronicling the lives of courageous Americans fighting for racial equity, climate justice and indigenous rights through the eyes of Robert Shetterly, a long time activist and artist. The film explores the intersection of these issues stressing the urgency of coming together to confront them and galvanizing our resolve to uphold our country’s founding ideals.
“I was moved to tears ...It is rich, poignant and absolutely necessary."
— Professor Lynn Frederiksen, Clark University