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"Another Brother" Chronicles the Life of Clarence FitchBy Elena Schwolsky-Fitch1998 - 30 years since the Tet Offensive, 30 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, 30 years since students were clubbed on the streets of Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. This is the 30th anniversary of 1968, a year that is etched in our national memory as one of the most turbulent years in American history. In the jungles of Vietnam and in the streets of America, our country was at war. ANDERSONGOLD Films is proud to mark this important anniversary with the release of a new documentary film, "Another Brother," produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Tami Gold. "Another Brother" tells the story of Clarence Fitch, my late husband, who died of AIDS in 1990. Clarence was a combat marine veteran who used his experience in Vietnam to educate others. He served as East Coast coordinator of VVAW and was active in high school and community outreach and counter-recruiting.
This film is an important and timely project. The history of African-American GIs in the Vietnam War, the impact of that war on the black community, and its connection to the proliferation of drug use within that community, have not been adequately explored, although they continue to have a profound impact on our society. The lives of a whole generation of Americans - the baby boomers - have been bookended by the Vietnam War and the AIDS epidemic. "Another Brother" has been a labor of love for filmmaker Tami Gold, who was Clarence's close friend. VVAW members Greg Payton and Ben Chitty served as project advisors, and many VVAW members have supported our efforts to make this film through fundraising and providing archival materials and memories. Clarence's family has been involved since the beginning. It will be shown on PBS in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area in June. We are creating an education package that will include a 53-minute video and accompanying study and viewer guides. We plan to distribute the film to a network of colleges, high schools, community organizations, veterans' groups, and libraries. VVAW members and supporters who want to make sure that this film reaches a wide audience can help in several ways: Clarence Fitch was an inspiration to hundreds of young people who witnessed his strength, resilience, and clarity of vision. "Another Brother" will carry on his work. For more information about this project contact:
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Through found photographs, audiotaped interviews and archival footage, the film tells of Clarence's experience as an 18-year-old marine in Vietnam and his return home to Jersey City where he spent many years dealing with a heroin habit. In his own words, Clarence shares his difficult recovery from drugs, his mentoring role with high school students, his work as an antiwar activist, and finally, his courage as a person living with AIDS.