Emily Harrold
Back in the spring, Wade sellers and I had the opportunity to catch a screening of a film by SC filmmaker Emily Harrold about a battle in the war that American culture doesn’t seem to want to ever end. It was called Meltdown in Dixie. “In the wake of the 2015 Charleston Massacre, a battle erupts in Orangeburg, South Carolina between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Confederate flag in his parking lot. MELTDOWN IN DIXIE explores the broader role of Confederate symbolism in 21st century America and the lingering racial oppression which these symbols help maintain.” (American Documentary) We were impressed by the film and the filmmaker and, once again, proud of another SC artist using their talent and passion to better represent the South as something other than the geographic pit of ignorant rednecks that most of mass media depicts us as.
Now, Harrold is at work completing another documentary that will tell the story of Jaime Harrison and his 2020 senate campaign against Lindsey Graham, called In the Bubble with Jaime. Here’s a snip of info from Harrold’s Kickstarter page:
In the 2020 election cycle in South Carolina, African American Jaime Harrison takes on Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham to run for US Senate. But what happens when the COVID pandemic sets in? In a state with one of the largest African American populations in the United States, Harrison must face not only a global pandemic but a legacy of racial injustice that makes winning an uphill battle.
When he announced his run for Senate back in 2019, nobody thought Jaime Harrison stood a chance. A Black Democrat running for Senate against Trump favorite Lindsey Graham in a state like South Carolina? But by October 2020, Jaime was on track to prove everyone wrong. He raised more money for his race than any US Senate candidate ever before. And he did it while running an almost completely virtual campaign.IN THE BUBBLE WITH JAIME pulls back the curtains on Harrison’s historic campaign. See Jaime and his team as they struggle to balance meeting voters face-to-face with the challenges of staying safe during the height of COVID. Get a glimpse of Jaime not only as a Senate candidate, but as a father of two young boys who must keep up with school remotely. Follow political director Bre Maxwell as she travels across South Carolina, building excitement for one of the biggest campaigns the South has seen in decades. And step out of the bubble with reporter Joe Bustos as he tries to get a read on voters in the weeks and days before the election.”
Harrold’s Team
Have a look at what Harrold is up to and consider getting behind this project. If Meltdown in Dixie is any indication of her work, In the Bubble with Jaime will be something all South Carolinians — especially film and history aficianodos —will be proud of.
Cindi Boiter