Inspirational, Award-Winning Documentary 'When I Rise' Available on AT&T U-verse Movies at No Charge

DALLAS, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bringing history, inspiration, culture and entertainment together, AT&T* today proudly announced the availability of the award-winning documentary, 'When I Rise' on AT&T U-verse® Movies. A production of The University of Texas at Austin (UT), the film captures the story of Barbara Smith Conrad as she overcame racial discrimination to become an internationally-renowned mezzo-soprano singer. The film will be available to all U-verse TV customers at no extra cost.

In the late 1950s, Conrad was cast in a UT student opera with a white male classmate, but amidst racial backlash and pressure from the Texas Legislature, the young African-American woman was forced to leave the production, landing her in the eye of a civil rights storm. As her expulsion grew to receive national media attention, the small-town girl rose to become a key influencer in the movement to create a more open and diverse university community, and ultimately, a celebrated opera star.

AT&T's introduction of 'When I Rise' on its U-verse Movies platform is part of the company's ongoing commitment to the African-American community and the arts. The full-length documentary now also includes a special introduction from AT&T's Chairman and CEO, Randall Stephenson.  

Stephenson said: "We're proud to have a part in sharing Ms. Conrad's inspirational life story. This film does an amazing job documenting her courageous journey from a tiny Texas town to the world's biggest stages, and we're delighted to deliver it to our U-verse TV customers."

'When I Rise' was made possible in part by AT&T and was a production of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, directed by Mat Hames, produced by James Moll and Michael Rosen, and executive produced by Don Carleton. The film had its world premiere at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival and received praise at numerous other film festivals. Earlier this year, 'When I Rise' was broadcast for the first time on the Emmy® Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens.

AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and feature-rich services available today. Now AT&T U-verse TV ranks "Highest in Customer Satisfaction in the North Central, South and West Regions," according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Studies(SM). For additional information visit AT&T U-verse.

More information on 'When I Rise' is available at www.WhenIRiseFilm.com and www.pbs.org/independentlens/when-i-rise/. For additional ways AT&T supports the African-American community and diversity initiatives, please visit att.com/thebridge.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.  

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Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse. Call or go to www.att.com/uverse to see if you qualify.

AT&T U-verse TV: Residential customers only. Prices, programming and offers subject to change without notice. A one-time TV Service Activation Fee of $29 applies to orders before 6/12/2011; $36 if on or after 6/12/2011.

AT&T U-verse received the highest numerical score among television service providers in the North Central, South and West regions in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Residential Television Service Satisfaction Study(SM). Study based on 28,489 total responses from measuring 12 providers in the North Central region (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI), 13 providers in the South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX), and 10 providers in the West (AZ, CA, CO, ID, IA, MN, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY) and measures consumer satisfaction with television service. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in Nov. 2009 and Jan. 2010, April 2010 and July 2010. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.