Our history is woefully incomplete.  It is time to tell the stories of those unsung heroes yet unknown.  Click below to read more!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ann-maguire-circle-of-heroes-documentary-series-women

Watch the trailer!

This year, with the help of a few dedicated friends and some generous contributors, I made an hour long documentary biography of a woman, Ann Maguire, who, imbued with a huge heart and unusual political skill, made truly extraordinary, world changing contributions to the gay rights movement, the breast cancer movement, and the work to eradicate and mitigate homelessness in American urban centers.

Ann’s work led to the first openly gay or lesbian person in American history getting elected to a State office in 1974.  She contributed, with the help of many, in a variety of ways to improving the quality of life for gays and lesbians in Boston.  The techniques used there became part of the strategy that moved gay rights forward across the country.   She was instrumental, with others, in the organization of the National and Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalitions, leading to hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding. She initiated the first census of homeless people designed to actually count how many of them there were on the streets at any given time, and along the way managed Tom Menino’s successful campaign to become mayor of Boston, and to this day, she continues to actively support a number of important causes and interests.

Despite creating several legacies of enormous proportions, Ann Maguire remains relatively unknown, until now.  Her work is an example to all those who look at the world and want to improve it, or accomplish concrete political change.  This is a story of resilience, hope, and empowerment. This is the story of how one person can positively impact an uncountable number of lives.

On November 9, 2016, we woke up to a new reality.  The gains in civil rights achieved during the last 50 years cannot now be taken for granted.  Now, much more than before, there will be those looking for the means to make and maintain social change.  Those born in the last 30 years may not know the tremendous effort that was put forth by the previous generations to secure the freedoms and safety that younger people were born into.  The strategies, methodologies, commitment and tenacity of the activists, including Ann, which led to those gains are needed now, to keep them, and to move the country in a positive direction for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual preference, race, or religion.

Ann’s is a story that the world needs to know.  And this story provides a valuable roadmap for how others can pick up the mantle, the burden, the work, and move forward with it, successfully, now.

Watch the trailer, and email me to make arrangements to see the entire movie, or discuss how you can schedule Ann and I to facilitate a workshop/ symposium, using the film as a jumping off point to share and discuss the strategies for successful social change.

 

Ann Maguire: An American Hero, Trailer from Maggie Rizzi on Vimeo.

Come to the Boston premier screening of the film at the Boston Public Library on January 23, 2017.