In 1964, civil rights activist Percy Green scaled the side of the St. Louis Gateway Arch to fight for equal access to jobs.
Now, over 60 years later, Nine PBS presents a documentary exploring Green’s activist career and the impact he had on our region.
“For more than 70 years, we have told the stories that shape our community. Percy Green’s legacy is not just about the Arch climb—it’s about courage, persistence, and the ongoing fight for equality,” said Aja Williams, Vice President and Chief Content Officer at Nine PBS. “This documentary ensures that future generations understand the impact he had on St. Louis and beyond.”
The film depicts Green’s beginning work in activism, his journey in protesting for equal rights, and his part in the founding of the civil rights committee, ACTION.
Director and producer Joseph Puleo said, “In the climate that we're in, I think somebody like Percy is an incredibly important thing.”
Ninety-year-old Green sat down for a six-hour interview, and Puleo said he was “as sharp as a tack” in recalling details and moments from his activist career.
Green created a book called “Why you must raise hell” in the 70s. It was essentially a scrapbook of every time he or ACTION was mentioned in newspapers in St Louis or in national newspapers. Puleo was able to take that information and find video to accompany those stories or use animation to fill in the gaps for the film.
“Percy was incredibly soft spoken. He was affable. He was a delight to be around,” Puleo said. “On July 14, 2024, it was the 60-year anniversary of the Arch climb, so we returned to the scene in the film. It was like 100 degrees outside. I kept asking ‘do we need to take a break?’ and he just said, ‘let's keep going, keep going.’”
Alongside research, part of the filmmaking process included interviewing some of the people who knew Green during his ACTION days. One of those people is Richard Daly, the person who scaled the Arch alongside Green 61 years ago.
“I think of him as an artist,” Daly said in the beginning of the film. “He was thinking in more creative ways than anyone else during the civil rights movement.”
Percy Green is revered as one of the leading civil rights activists in St. Louis history. Nine PBS is honored to be able to share his story with our community.
“I think that his sacrifices, whether you agree with his tactics or even what he was fighting for, that he was able to face because of what he believed in, is remarkable, regardless if you're on board with it or not, he should be respected for just that level of dedication,” Puleo said.
Percy Green: Man of ACTION premieres October 27 on Nine PBS, the PBS app, and ninepbs.org. Preview screening events will be held October 7 at the Hi-Pointe Theater and October 25 in Kiener Plaza. Visit ninepbs.org/events for more information.
by Gabrielle Lindemann
