ABOUT THE SHORT FILM
Commissioned in 2013 by Missouri State Parks, The Battle of Island Mound is a short film that tells the remarkable story of the First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry and their historic stand on October 29, 1862—the first battle fought by African-American Union soldiers in the Civil War, set in Missouri.
Comprised of freed and escaped slaves, the 1st Kansas Volunteers displayed extraordinary courage, helping to pave the way for Civil Rights in America and echoing the Founding Fathers’ ideal that “All men are created equal.”
The film was screened at over a dozen public events, won two Regional Emmy Awards, and was named Best Short Film at the 2014 Harlem International Film Festival.
A copy of the film was placed in a time capsule dedicated by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon at the state’s capitol, to be opened in 2115.