AMERICAN AGITATORS explores the remarkable life of Fred Ross, Sr., and a legacy of organizing that thrives today. Born in 1910 and raised in Los Angeles, Ross led a groundbreaking organizing approach that improved the lives of thousands. Beginning in the 1930s, Ross organized Dust Bowl refugees and during WWII he helped Japanese Americans find jobs and housing after release from the internment camps. After the War, in the face of KKK activity, he organized civil unity leagues in California by mentoring Mexican Americans and African Americans to build their voting power to challenge segregation in schools, which led to a successful integration of local school boards across California's Citrus Belt. Perhaps the most dramatic outcome of his early work occurred when Mexican American parents sued the Orange County school districts and prevailed in the Mendez vs Westminster case, laying the foundation for the Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs Board of Education. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s he worked with legendary organizer Dolores Huerta and the United Farmworkers Union. Generations of organizers and activists, many who are featured in American Agitators, stand on the shoulders of Ross and his innovative organizing tactics that cross sectors and issue areas.

GENRE: Documentary
MPAA RATING: No Rating
RUN TIME: 1h 39m
RELEASE DATE: May 01, 2026
STARRING:
DIRECTOR(S): Raymond Telles
PRODUCER(S):
WRITER(S): Raymond Telles, Angela Reginato
STUDIO: Abramorama
OFFICIAL MOVIE WEBSITE: https://www.americanagitators.com/ https://www.americanagitators.com/