Rivers of Women

Lyah B. Leflore-Ituen

“Rivers of Women” is a documentary film written & directed by Lyah B. LeFlore-Ituen. The film centers on the life and works of the late St. Louis Poet Laureate Emeritus, Shirley Bradley Price LeFlore. LeFlore, an activist and artist, worked arduously as a change agent in the in the St. Louis community. The film will capture Shirley Bradley Price LeFlore’s journey from a young girl to her rise as a national and international poet. “Rivers of Women” borrows its title from LeFlore’s iconic book of poetry published in 2013. The film will connect LeFlore’s life work and legacy to the experiences and issues concerning Black women within the St. Louis community. Through LeFlore’s eyes, audiences will take a historical ride — from Carr Square Village and The Ville; to Gaslight Square, the Millcreek area, and Laclede Town; to the creation of the Black Artist Group (BAG) – and on into Ferguson.  In her last years, LeFlore, as an elder, shared life changing wisdom of surviving trauma with Lezley McSpadden, mother of slain Ferguson teen, Michael Brown; McSpadden will be interviewed in the film. This prolific cinematic journey will span culture, arts, and race over nearly eight decades.