Free Screening of "13th -- From Slave to Criminal with One Amendment". The director is Ava DuVernay ("Selma"). Following the showing, the floor will be open for discussion and questions, moderated by Prof. William Ellis (WAU Dept of History and Political Studies) and Prof. John Gavin (WAU Dept of Social Work). Local resident Marc Mauer, who appears in the film and is Executive Director of The Sentencing Project, will comment.
Monday, Dec 5, 7pm, Washington Adventist University Science Bldg (Weinstein Auditorium). It's right behind the hospital but enter from Flower Avenue map (pdf).
Notes from Diana Kohn:
"In the wake of the election many in TP are seeking a way forward. Race played a large role in the election campaign and that will continue. This documentary provides context for understanding race and justice in this current moment.
DuVernay undertook this project fresh from 'Selma' with support from Netflix. Her goal was to explore how the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery except 'as punishment for crime,' has led inexorably to the mass incarceration of African Americans. This screening is presented by the Center for Law and Public Policy at WAU as part of an ongoing Race and Justice series, and in partnership with Takoma Park's Unity in the Community Initiative."
Links:
Trailer
Criminal justice facts
Black men represent 6.5% of the U.S. population but are comprise approx. 40% of the 2.5 million prison inmates
Atlantic interview with DuVernay