The Austin Community College District’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies (CPPPS) is preparing to debut a documentary focusing on a historic strike that resulted in the political mobilization of Mexican-Americans in the Austin area.

“The Economy Furniture Strike,” a feature-length documentary, is narrated by Emmy award-winning journalist Dan Rather and co-produced by Paradigm Shift Multimedia. It tells the story of a 1968 strike by workers at Austin’s Economy Furniture Co., after the owner would not recognize an employee vote calling for union representation. Mexican-Americans comprised almost the entirety of the local Economy Furniture workforce.

“Central Texas has a rich local history, filled with names, struggles, and triumphs not widely known by the general public,” says Peck Young, CPPPS director. “We are committed to preserving and bringing this history to light.”

CPPPS will hold a premiere event and panel discussion Monday, October 11, at 7 p.m., in the Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River St.). The event is free and open to the public; RSVP is required to [email protected].

The documentary is the result of hundreds of hours of personal interviews and research of newspapers, legal documents, and artifacts. It is the first product of the Jeffrey M. Friedman Political Video History Project.

The documentary premiere will mark the kick-off of ACC’s Big Read program, which promotes reading in the Austin area and on college campuses. ACC’s Big Read centers around the novel “In the Time of Butterflies,” by Julia Alvarez. Both “In the Time of Butterflies” and “The Economy Furniture Strike” tell stories of people committed to political and cultural change.

Big Read events take place throughout the fall and include readings for children, a Day of the Dead celebration, drama performances, and a reading by Julia Alvarez. For more information, visit the Big Read website at austincc.edu/bigread.