Bree Newsome facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bree Newsome
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Newsome at CUNY Graduate Center, 2015
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| Born | May 13, 1985 Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
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| Education | New York University (BFA) |
Bree Newsome Bass (born May 13, 1985) is an American filmmaker, activist, and speaker from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is well-known for an act of civil disobedience on June 27, 2015. On that day, she was arrested for taking down the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House. This happened after the tragic Charleston church shooting. Her brave action brought a lot of attention and helped pressure state leaders to remove the flag for good on July 10, 2015.
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Early Life and Education
Bree Newsome grew up in Columbia, Maryland. She went to Oakland Mills High School. In 2003, YM magazine called her one of the "20 Coolest Girls in America."
While still in high school, Bree made a short animated film. This film helped her win a college scholarship. She later studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Career Highlights
Filmmaking Work
Bree Newsome's film Wake has won many awards. It received the Outstanding Independent Short Film award in the Black Reel Awards of 2012. It also won Best Short Film at the BET Urban World Film Festival.
Her film was shown at major events like the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival in France. It was also screened at the New York International Latino Film Festival. Newsome was the first African-American undergraduate student to be nominated for the important Wasserman Award.
Bree has said that working in horror and sci-fi movies inspired her to become an activist. She felt that there were not many opportunities for young Black girls. This made her want to speak up and challenge things.
Activism for Change
Protesting Voter ID Laws
In July 2013, Bree Newsome was arrested during a sit-in. She was protesting North Carolina's voter ID law. This protest took place at the office of the North Carolina House Speaker at the time.
Taking Down the Confederate Flag
On June 27, 2015, Bree Newsome became famous for taking down the Confederate battle flag. This flag was flying on the grounds of the South Carolina State House. She climbed the 30-foot pole to remove it.
Police officers told her to come down. Bree replied, "In the name of Jesus, this flag has to come down." She added, "I come against you in the name of God. This flag comes down today." After she lowered the flag, she was arrested. A man named James Ian Tyson, who helped her, was also arrested. People watching applauded Bree's actions. The flag was put back up 45 minutes later.
Bree's act of civil disobedience was reported by news outlets around the world. A fundraising campaign quickly raised money for her bail. Many people supported her, including filmmaker Michael Moore. Todd Rutherford, a state representative, offered to represent her in court. NAACP leader Reverend William Barber II praised her action. He compared it to the actions of Rosa Parks and other heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.
After her release, Bree Newsome gave many interviews. She appeared on TV shows like Democracy Now! and The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. She also appeared in the 2015 documentary Bars4justice.
Some South Carolina lawmakers criticized her actions. They said that while they wanted the flag removed, illegal actions could make it harder. Calls to remove the flag had grown stronger after the murder of nine people in the Charleston church shooting on June 17.
A few days after her arrest, Bree Newsome explained why she acted. She said the Charleston massacre deeply affected her. She felt it was a time for true courage. She realized that the violence was not just history but happening now.
On July 9, the South Carolina's House of Representatives voted on the flag. This led to the flag being permanently removed the next day. The charges against Bree Newsome and James Ian Tyson were later dropped.
Continued Activism
In 2016, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton praised Bree Newsome. She said Bree's act of climbing the flagpole was an important step. Clinton noted that South Carolina finally made the right choice by removing the flag.
In February 2016, Bree told Ebony magazine that her family's history motivated her. Her ancestors had been enslaved in South Carolina.
Since 2017, Bree Newsome has continued to speak out on important issues. She has given interviews to magazines like The Crisis and Marie Claire. She has also given speeches at colleges. After a deadly attack in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, her thoughts were published in The Washington Post.
Bree Newsome has also worked as an activist for housing rights.
Honors and Awards
- Outstanding Independent Short Film award, Black Reel Awards of 2012
- Best Short Film at the BET Urban World Film Festival
- NAACP Image Award – Chairman's Award, presented on February 5, 2016
