The New Roxy Theater

The New Roxy Theater explores black film spectatorship during segregation through the stories of family and friends with close ties to an old movie house.

From the director:

"Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, I am proud of my strong Southern roots. This is a story I've wanted to tell for a long time. It is personal, but also universal. It is the story of America's infatuation with going to the movies. My grandfather was an usher and custodian at the New Roxy and my uncle was a projectionist there. My father spent his childhood there watching movies whenever he could. Many people from Clarksdale found enjoyment at the New Roxy. They also found camaraderie, hope, and solace. At a time when blacks were forced to use separate entrances, sit in segregated seating, and endure unfair treatment, the New Roxy was a place Black patrons could go to feel secure."

Daryl’s first film was Tender, a short documentary about black trans women managing the housing crisis in San Francisco. He also wrote, “Know Your Ethical Guidelines for Documentary Filmmaking,” and “Neither Diminished or Forgotten” for New Day Films. In 2019, Daryl received a mini-grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council for his oral history project and documentary about the New Roxy theater, The New Roxy Theater, which will be archived at Jackson State University in 2024. In 2024, he was also co-awarded Firelight’s William Greaves Research and Development Grant, and Black Public Media’s Open Call Award for the Untitled Allensworth Project. 

The New Roxy Theater Oral History Project is an archive of oral histories, supplemental photos, and a  short documentary that features current and former Clarksdale residents who share stories about the New Roxy, segregation, and Clarksdale’s future. 

The New Roxy Theater was created to foster discussion about the Civil Rights movement while focusing on the camaraderie, and emotional needs of patrons who wanted a safe space to escape and indulge in fantasy at a time when reality could be cruel.

The New Roxy Theater was filmed on location in Clarksdale, Mississippi.