Silence in Sikeston Screening and Journalist Q&A
Date and time
Sep 22, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. CDT
Location
400 N Pacific St, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
SEMO students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to a special screening of Silence in Sikeston on Tuesday, September 22 at 6:30 p.m. in Rose Theater.
The documentary examines the 1942 lynching of Cleo Wright and the 2020 police killing of Denzel Taylor in Sikeston, Missouri, while exploring themes of racial violence, trauma, community memory, resilience, public health and healing.
Following the film, journalist Cara Anthony will join attendees for a Q&A session, offering students and guests an opportunity to discuss the reporting behind the documentary, the experiences of the Sikeston community and the broader questions raised by the film.
The screening offers an interdisciplinary learning opportunity for students interested in history, journalism, media, psychology, sociology, public health, criminal justice, ethics and related fields. More broadly, the event invites participants to consider how communities understand difficult histories and how journalism, research and storytelling can contribute to public dialogue.
Students from all majors are encouraged to attend.
This event is free and open to the public.
This program is being run in conjunction with the department of Mass Media, Art and Design.