Documentary features Zanesville protest

A May protest in Zanesville following the death of George Floyd last year is the subject of a new documentary.

Zanesville resident and Dennison University journalism professor Doug Swift created the short film “What Matters? Documenting the Fight for Racial Equality in Zanesville” focusing on the peaceful protests that took place in the city on May 30th, 2020.

“There were about 500 people there. About half were black, half were white. Some from the north end, some from the south end. And just the fact that I had never witnessed such an event in Zanesville with such a diverse group of people and especially for such a meaningful cause,” said Swift.

There will be a zoom showing of the film on January 16th followed by a panel discussion featuring: Zanesville Mayor Don Mason, march co-organizer Kyle Johnson, and Darryl Graves from the Muskingum County Social Justice Coalition.

“Obviously it’s difficult to talk about racial issues and we in our country have to learn how to do that in a healthy, constructive way. I hope the film is a first step for a lot of people, and even a second or third step, but I hope that the film facilitates the beginning of a really healthy discussion,” said Swift.

You can sign up to attend the virtual showing and panel discussion on the Zanesville Museum of Art web site at ZanesvilleArt.org.

The film is available to watch anytime via the WOUB web site at WOUB.org.