About the Project

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE is a unique and innovative multi-tiered media, five-part project to restore the legacy of Bradley and teach and inspire future generations of young people and leaders.

1. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: TOM BRADLEY AND THE POLITICS OF RACE: A 90-minute high definition feature documentary designed for television broadcast (PBS) and theatrical release.

2. TOM BRADLEY'S IMPOSSIBLE DREAM: A 30-minute educational video and study guide for inclusion in middle and high school curriculums.

3. SHARE YOUR TOM BRADLEY STORY: A multi-layered, interactive website designed to create a two-way conversation with users. The website will engage people to share their stories about Tom Bradley online and at story stations throughout the city.

4. TOM BRADLEY FILMED ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION: An archive of 100 hours of interviews, filmed for the documentary and educational video, and preserved as a permanent archive of the stories and recollections of the important events and accomplishments of Tom Bradley. This collection will reside both on the film’s website and on site at the Tom Bradley archives.

5. TOM BRADLEY TV: An innovative web-based platform featuring a gallery of twenty 2-4 minute video shorts, which viewed separately or together will present a memorable and historic story of the life and legacy of Tom Bradley.

6. YOUTH WORKFORCE PROGRAM: A training program for young people from underrepresented and underserved areas, which will provide the opportunity to learn video research, production and editing through hands-on experience working on the documentary, story stations and website.

OUR L.A.

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: TOM BRADLEY AND THE POLITICS OF RACE is a project of OUR L.A., a non profit corporation, established by Lyn Goldfarb and Alison Sotomayor. OUR L.A. was created to increase public awareness of people and stories of Los Angeles—both historic and present-day—through audio-visual and new media projects, and through education, preservation, and outreach. www.our-la.com

WHY IS THIS FILM
IMPORTANT NOW?

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: TOM BRADLEY AND THE POLITICS OF RACE will be the first documentary ever produced on the life and legacy of this extraordinary man. It is an incredible omission that Tom Bradley has been overlooked as one of the most significant and influential black leaders in the history of our nation.

A full telling of Tom Bradley’s story could not be timelier, or more urgent, and we are running out of time. Many of the staff and colleagues who worked with Bradley are in their late seventies, eighties and nineties. Since we began this project, Ethel Bradley, Tom Bradley’s widow, and Bill Elkins, lifelong friend and advisor, died. Max Palevsky, a major campaign supporter, former LA Police Chief Daryl Gates, and three important advisors to Tom Bradley, also passed away.

If we want to tell a story with all of the nuance and details from the people who were there, we need to begin immediately while their memories are still strong. If we do not begin now, chances are that critical parts of Tom Bradley’s story will be lost to history forever.

Tom Bradley's story and legacy
should never be forgotten.

About the Project

OUR L.A.

WHY IS THIS FILMIMPORTANT NOW?

WHY IS THIS FILM
IMPORTANT NOW?