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Haitian-American Jean-Philippe Boucicaut produce documentary Film that targets black voters

A cultural arts education group will show a documentary tonight on the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, hoping to spur voters to exercise their right to vote.

BY DARRAN SIMON

dsimon@MiamiHerald.com

Some cried. Others left angry. Most displayed some kind of emotion.

From San Francisco, to Los Angeles, to Boston, American Blackout -- a documentary alleging disfranchisement of black voters in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections -- has triggered strong reactions from viewers nationwide.

''What hits people the most is that in this day and age, the suppression of the black and Latino vote is still happening,'' said Jean-Philippe Boucicaut, a co-producer and an editor of the documentary.

Boucicaut, a Haitian-American filmmaker, expects similar reactions tonight when the documentary is shown at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center near Fort Lauderdale.

''The anger that people come out with after watching the film makes them motivated to take a stand and become active,'' he said.

The movie aims to educate people about voting, and encourage them to go to the polls, said Gina Dodard, program director of ACTION Foundation, a Fort Lauderdale-based cultural arts education nonprofit.

The foundation is bringing the film to the library.

Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and Marsha Ellison, president of the Fort Lauderdale NAACP, are expected to address the audience.

Voting irregularities in 2000 and alleged disfranchisement in 2004 bred distrust among black and other voters, said Florida NAACP President Adora Obi Nweze.

Nonetheless, it is important that everyone -- not just blacks -- votes, Nweze said.

''Once the vote goes then nothing else in this country quite matters,'' she said.

Florida was the deciding state that gave George W. Bush the victory by a 537-vote margin in the 2000 presidential election.

In 2002, civil rights groups settled a class-action lawsuit stemming from the election.

The suit was filed on behalf of African Americans and Haitian- Americans in Florida. It alleged that thousands couldn't vote because of faulty election equipment, mishandled voter registration procedures and citizens who were incorrectly classified as felons, who are ineligible to vote.

The documentary trails U.S. Rep. Cynthia A. McKinney, D-Ga. She caused a stir after she was quoted as saying that Bush ignored warnings of the 9/11 terrorist attacks because he knew a war on terrorism would help businesses run by his friends and campaign contributors.

The documentary suggests that McKinney's quotes were taken out of context.