The Lessons of Hayti Premieres at the 2013 Harlem International Film Festival

LOS ANGELES - Sept. 11, 2013 - PRLog -- Douglas Bourne, aka Doug E. Doug, whose career acting highlights include The Cosby Show, Cool Runnings and the animated movie A Shark's Tale, will be present for the screening of the critically acclaimed documentary, The Lessons of Hayti on Saturday, September 14th at 1 pm at the Maysles Theater in Harlem, as part of the 8th Annual Harlem International Film Festival.

Bourne, who is narrator of the documentary, will be on hand for a Q&A session to take place following the screening of The Lessons of Haytiand will speak about his role in the project and his excitement in being part of such a groundbreaking documentary. “The Lessons of Hayti offers a coherent argument about the true success that African Americans have had in American history over the last 150 years, in spite of the racist impulses that have existed over this period,” said Bourne.

The Lessons of Hayti details the rise of African American self determination and economic empowerment following the Civil War and highlights a period in American history that saw more than 100 independent Black towns and more than 70 Historically Black Colleges and Universities built.

In addition to Doug's presence in the film, Hayti also features interviews with noted economist and feature columnist, Dr. Julianne Malveaux; Amsterdam News writer and prolific author, Herb Boyd, co-editorfor the soon-to-be-released book, "The Diary of Malcolm X"; Maceo Sloan, CEO of NCM Capital; and Dr. Olivia Hooker, a prominent educator and one of two living survivors of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921.

The screening of The Lessons of Hayti at the 8th Annual Harlem International Film Festival, which takes place September 11-15th, will be the first major festival appearance for the documentary and will be followed by a screening at the 5th AFI World Peace Initiative in Sag Harbor, Long Island, November 1-3, 2013.

"Each year we receive hundreds of engaging, entertaining, and uplifting films and The Lessons of Hayti ranks among this year's finest," said B. Lorenzo Roache, Director of Operations for the Harlem International Film Festival.

“The main goal of the AFI World Peace Initiative is to provoke dialogue and for individuals to learn about other cultures. Stories like Hayti must be told as we move forward with integrity and the intent of preservation of our past,” stated Princess Angelique Monet, Founder of the Artisan Festival International World Peace Initiative.

The documentary is also scheduled for network television syndication during Black History Month 2014, reaching more than 75% of American households.

For more information about The Lessons of Hayti please visit us on Facebook, Twitter and at http://www.alvapictures.com/Lessons-Of-Hayti.shtml

For more information about the Harlem International Film Festival or to purchase tickets to The Lessons of Hayti screening, please visit http://www.harleminternationalfilmfestival.org

For more information about the Artisan Festival International in The Hamptons, please visit http://www.afiworldpeaceinitiative.org