MSUM Broadcast Documentary class premieres “The Pioneer Barber” Feb. 8
Thursday, Feb. 8 | 6:30 p.m. | Center for Business 109
MSUM’s School of Communication and Journalism will present the premiere of “The Pioneer Barber” on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Center for Business, room 109. The event is free and open to the public.
“The Pioneer Barber” follows the life of Felix Battles – an escaped slave, a Civil War veteran, and Fargo-Moorhead’s pioneer barber. The documentary is the culmination of the work of more than a dozen students in the Fall 2023 Broadcast Documentary class.
“Felix played a pivotal role in Moorhead’s early business community. And as a well-respected barber, he paved the way for more persons of color to move to this region and call Fargo-Moorhead home,” said Kevin Wallevand, MSUM broadcast documentary instructor. “The documentary is all student-driven. They write, research, study, interview, and produce-edit the entire piece every year.”
Combing through archives, students also learned about MSUM’s efforts to bring students of color to the university.
“The documentary class chooses a topic every fall and works on that project all semester,” Wallevand said. “We have done everything from profiling farmers’ market producers, examining the impact of Covid on MSUM, to the joy of Moorhead’s The Freez.”
The School of Communication and Journalism has been producing documentaries for 20+ years.
Watch “The Pioneer Barber” trailer.
About Felix Battles
Felix Battles was a courageous American Civil War soldier who risked his life to free his fellow Americans and preserve the Union. He overcame a lifetime of injustice and adversity before moving north to the frontier, where he built both a home and a business. A monument in honor of Felix Battles was unveiled in November outside of MSUM’s Center for Business, serving as a reminder of his bravery and the sacrifices he made for his country. MSUM was chosen as the site for the monument because Felix Battles’ old home stood next to the university’s Center for Business.