'The Forgotten' director talks tonight

As part of Black History Month, the director's cut of a new documentary titled "The Forgotten" will be shown free on campus tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 17.The film tells the story of African-American troops in the Civil War; a part of history that the director feels is often overlooked.

Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jeff O'Den, who will be at the premiere to introduce and discuss the project, directed the documentary.

A former adjunct professor at the university, O'Den got the idea to make the documentary about five years ago, when he happened across the history of his family.

The discoveries he made then led him on a search for knowledge about the role African-Americans played during the Civil War.

After working in the media industry, O'Den started his own production business, Saving Our Heritage.

While O'Den didn't have access to the resources or funding of a Hollywood production, he said the quality of his movie and the content match that of one.

"The Forgotten" will be shown today, Feb. 17, at 6:45 p.m. in the Ford Life Sciences Building, room 113.

It is sponsored by the Black Abolitionist Archive, Phi Alpha Theta and the History and African American Studies programs. It is open and free to all staff and students.