The events get rolling with a double bill on June 17 at the MFA’s Remis Auditorium. First up is “How it Feels to be Free,” directed by Yoruba Richen. The film takes a look at “the unprecedented look at the intersection of African
American women artists, politics, and entertainment.” Based on Ruth Feldstein’s book of the same name, the film tells the story of six trailblazers: Lena Horne, the first Black woman signed to a major studio; Abbey Lincoln, the “Black Marilyn Monroe” turned protest singer and activist; Diahann Carroll, the first Black woman to both win a Tony Award and star in her own TV series in a role other than a maid; Nina Simone, the revolutionary musical prodigy; Cicely Tyson, the proud race woman who used her art as a form of protest; and, Pam Grier, the first female action hero. (An online Q&A with Richen takes place June 17 at 7 p.m.)