CRIME AFTER CRIME Screens on March 3rd

The Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Film Series on “The Role of Law in American Society” continues at the Center on March 3^rd with showings of Crime After Crime at 6pm and 7:45pm. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Center is screening the story of the battle to free Debbie Peagler, an incarcerated survivor of brutal domestic violence. Debbie was wrongly convicted of the murder of her abusive boyfriend, and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Despite spending over 26 years in prison, and the injustices she has experienced, first at the hands of a duplicitous boyfriend who beat her and forced her into prostitution, and later by prosecutors who cornered her into a life behind bars for her connection to the murder of her abuser, the spirit of this determined woman cannot be crushed.

Debbie’s story takes an unexpected turn when Nadia Costa and Joshua Safran, a pair of rookie land-use attorneys, struggle to obtain justice for her, and attract global attention to the troubled intersection of domestic violence and criminal justice.

The Riverside Community College District would like to thank the law firm of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore for their generous sponsorship of this series.

This post was written by student worker Cynthia Mosley.

 

Center Celebrates “Mr. Civil Rights” on Feb. 4th

The Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Film Series on “The Role of Law in American Society” continues at the Center on February 4^th with showings of Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall & the NAACP at 6pm and 7:45pm. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

In honor of Black History Month, the Center is highlighting attorney Thurgood Marshall, whose triumph in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision ending school segregation completed the final leg of an heroic journey to end Jim Crow.

For 20 years, Marshall traveled hundreds of thousands of miles through the segregated U.S. South, fighting Jim Crow case by case, establishing precedent after precedent. Ultimately, Thurgood Marshall won more cases before the Supreme Court than any lawyer in American history, and became its first African American Justice.

02 Oct 1967, Washington, DC, USA — Original caption: Washington, D. C….Associate Supreme Court Justice Swear In. Thurgood Marshall in his robe prior to being sworn in as the first Negro member of the U. S. Supreme Court, October 2nd. Marshall, the great-grandson of a slave, swore to “do equal right to the poor and the rich” as he took the oath at the opening session of the court. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

Mr. Civil Rights incorporates archival film and interviews to explore Marshall’s life in the years leading up to the landmark ruling. This includes his upbringing in Baltimore, education at Howard University Law School, status as a rising star within the NAACP, skill as an orator and storyteller, and his relationship with his mentor Charles H. Houston. High-profile segregation cases involving voting, transportation, housing, labor and the military are examined.

The Riverside Community College District would like to thank the law firm of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore for their generous sponsorship of this series.

This post was written by work-study student Cynthia Mosely.

Slavery By Another Name Screens Jan. 7th

The Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Film Series on “The Role of Law in American Society” continues at the Center on January 7^th with showings of Slavery By Another Name at 6pm and 7:45pm. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

Screening in honor of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Slavery By Another Name challenges one of our country’s most cherished assumptions: the belief that slavery ended with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. This documentary recounts how, in the years following the Civil War, insidious new forms of forced labor emerged in the American South, keeping hundreds of thousands of African Americans in bondage and trapping them in a brutal system that would persist until the onset of World War II.

Based on the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Douglas Blackmon. Slavery By Another Name spans eight decades, from 1865 to 1945, revealing the interlocking forces in both the South and the North that enabled this “neoslavery” to begin and persist. The film tells the forgotten stories of both the victims and the perpetrators of neoslavery and includes interviews with their descendants living today. The program also features interviews with Douglas Blackmon and leading scholars of this period.

The Riverside Community College District would like to thank the law firm of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore for their generous sponsorship of this series.

Classic “Philadelphia” Screening at Center on 12/3

Actors Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington on the set of the Tri Star movie ” Philadelphia” in 1993. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

The Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Film Series on “The Role of Law in American Society” continues at the Center on December 3^rd with screenings of Philadelphia in honor of World AIDS Day. Screenings are at 5:30pm and 7:45pm. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

Philadelphia (1993) was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the tragic consequences of homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner, directed by Jonathan Demme, and stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Hanks won an Oscar for his moving performance.

Hanks plays Andrew Beckett, a senior associate at the largest corporate law firm in Philadelphia who also happens to be a gay man living with HIV/AIDS. When he is fired shortly after a partner in the firm notices a lesion on his forehead, Beckett fears he has been the victim of discrimination and decides to file a lawsuit against his former employer for wrongful termination. He turns to Joe Miller (Denzel Washington), the only lawyer in the City of Brotherly Love willing to take on the case, who must struggle to overcome his own fears and prejudices as he seeks justice for an ailing Beckett.

The Riverside Community College District would like to thank the law firm of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore for their generous sponsorship of this series.

 

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 Screens on August 6th

Join us for a screening of this powerful documentary in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Watts Uprising

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 offers a wealth of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the United States in the 1960s, drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution. The Swedes gained access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement – Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis, and Eldridge Cleaver among them. The journalists captured them in intimate and remarkably candid interviews, but the film then sat undisturbed for thirty years in the basement of the Swedish Film and Television Society.

Director Göran Olsson and co-producer Danny Glover bring the footage to light in a series of images, music, and narration chronicling the evolution of the Black Power movement. Music by Questlove and Om’Mas Keith, and commentary from prominent African American artists and activists influenced by the struggle, give the historical footage a fresh, contemporary resonance and makes the film an exhilarating, unprecedented account one of our nation’s most indelible and relevant turning points.

Join us as we reflect on the importance of the 1965 Watts Uprising and the Black Power movement that came to the fore in its aftermath in response to the problems of urban poverty and segregation in the North and West. The film, which is approximately 90 minutes long, will screen as part of our First Thursday Artswalk Film Series at 6:00 pm and again at 7:45 pm.

Admission is free, but seating is limited to approximately twenty people per screening. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so we recommend arriving at least 15 minutes prior to show time to secure your spot.

Please contact the Center with any questions: socialjustice@rccd.edu, (951) 222-8846.

This post was contributed by Center volunteer Danielle Sanchez.

The Racial Climate in Riverside: 1965 and 2015

As part of the Inlandia Institute’s launch of No Easy Way: Integrating Riverside Schools – A Victory for Community, the Center will be hosting a Community Conversation panel on Saturday, March 28^th from 1-3pm. No Easy Way is a local story of national significance telling the tale of the voluntary integration of Riverside’s schools in 1965. It vividly depicts a turning point in the region’s history, when an unknown arsonist burned down Riverside’s majority-African American Lowell School. At the same time, African American parents were petitioning the School Board for integration. These events set in motion a crisis that gripped the community just 20 days after the upheaval of the Watts rebellion. No Easy Way was written by Arthur L. Littleworth, the President of the RUSD Board at the time of the crisis.

Presented by The Press-Enterprise, UCR, and the City of Riverside, this panel will explore “The Racial Climate in Riverside: 1965 and 2015,” and feature the following speakers:

• Kathy Allavie, Board Member, Riverside Unified School District
• Bill Medina, Adjunct Professor of History, Riverside City College and San Bernardino Valley College
• Dell Roberts, Retired Administrator, Riverside Unified School District
• Wanda Scruggs, Retired Director of Development, UCR Libraries

Moderator: Hillary Jenks, Director, Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties

The Community Conversation Series will continue in the months to come with these additional gatherings:

Issues of Integration and Resegregation in Education
April 30, 6pm, UCR Theatre

Results of Integration in Education: Locally and Nationally
May 30, 1pm, Cesar Chavez Community Center at Bobby Bonds Park

Effect of School Integration on Riverside Housing and Neighborhoods
June 18, 6pm, Grier Pavilion at Riverside City Hall

No Easy Way is available at the Riverside Public Library, for sale online, and at local bookstores. This project was made possible with support from Cal Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit http://www.calhum.org.

This post was contributed by student worker Cynthia Mosley.

Celebrate Black History Month with a screening of Chisholm ’72: Unbought and Unbossed on 02/05

An illuminating documentary about a trailblazing politician and her legacy!

I am a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. […] I make that statement seriously, knowing that my candidacy itself can change the face and future of American politics – that it will be important to the needs and hopes of every one of you – even though, in the conventional sense, I will not win.
– Shirley Chisholm, June 4, 1972

After becoming the first black woman elected to Congress in 1968, Brooklyn-based congresswoman Shirley Chisholm broke new political ground when she announced her run for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 1972. Chisholm was a liberal black woman with a powerful message: Exercise the full measure of your citizenship and vote.

She gave voice to issues affecting the poor, the young, minorities, gays, and other marginalized Americans. Given her background in early childhood education, she was an authority on child welfare. She battled to expand the government food stamp program and to create the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (W.I.C.) to assist low-income families. A visionary leader, Chisholm gathered strong grassroots support by fighting for women’s rights, educational reform, and an end to the Vietnam War.

Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, directed by Shola Lynch (UC Riverside, ’95 M.A., History), is a remarkable collection of stories, archival footage, Chisholm’s own commentary, and interviews. The documentary captures the spirit of a turning point in American politics, when an African American woman dared to take an equal place in the historically white and male presidential race. Chisholm’s fearless attempt to subvert the norm lives on through the women and minorities in politics who followed her lead.

The 77-minute film will be screened at 6:00pm and again at 7:45pm in the Center’s media vault. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Please contact the Center today to reserve your spot: socialjustice@rccd.edu, (951) 222-8846.

The Arts Walk Film Series continues on Thursday, March 5^th with Sisters of ’77 in celebration of Women’s History Month and on Thursday, April 2^nd with Skydancer.

Center Screens Brother Outsider on 10/2

An inspiring portrait of the “lost prophet” of the Civil Rights Movement!

The Center will be screening Nancy Kates’s and Bennett Singer’s compelling 2003 documentary Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin on Thursday, October 2nd as part of its Artswalk film series. The 83-minute film, which brings Rustin to life through rare archival footage, interviews with Rustin’s friends and colleagues, and the funny, passionate, and compelling words of the man himself, will be screened at 6:00pm and again at 7:45pm in the Center’s media vault. Admission is free but seating is limited, so please call 951-222-8846 or email socialjustice@rccd.edu to reserve your spot!

Bayard Rustin was an extraordinary person: talented singer, tireless organizer, gifted writer and debater, advocate of nonviolence  who traveled to India to study with Gandhi, advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., and chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Yet this African American champion of human rights remains largely unknown, in part because he was also an openly gay man in a homophobic era. J. Edgar Hoover himself tarred Rustin as a “suspected communist and known homosexual subversive.” As a result, despite his many gifts, Rustin was often pushed to remain behind the scenes and to prioritize the fight for racial equality over his right to express his sexuality. The irony of this contradiction drove his lifetime of activism on behalf of peace, civil rights, and economic freedom.

The Artswalk film series continues on Thursday, November 6th with the Inland Empire premiere of Hidden Legacy: Japanese Traditional Performing Arts in the WWII Internment Camps, including a special presentation and koto performance by Shirley Muramoto-Wong, and on Thursday, December 4th with We Were Here:  The AIDS Years in San Francisco in honor of World AIDS Day.

This blog post was written by volunteer Danielle Kuffler.

Fantastic Fall at the Center for Social Justice!

The Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties has many exciting events on the calendar for fall. The First Thursday Artswalk film series, begun in July, has been a great success and continues into fall with both new and award-winning documentaries. The film Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin, an inspiring portrait of the “lost prophet” of the Civil Rights Movement, will be screened on October 2^nd. On November 6^th, the Center is proud to announce the Inland Empire premiere of Hidden Legacy: Japanese Traditional Performing Arts in the WWII Internment Camps. The film will be accompanied by a Q&A and koto performance by its Creative Director, Shirley Muramoto-Wong. Finally, on December 4^th, the Center will show We Were Here: The AIDS Years in San Francisco in honor of World AIDS Day. Screenings are at 6pm and again at 7:45pm. Admission is free, but seating is limited; please contact the Center at 951-222-8846 or socialjustice@rccd.edu to reserve your spot!

The Center will also be participating in First Sundays again this fall, along with the other downtown museums and cultural organizations. A family-friendly event emphasizing arts and crafts, First Sundays is a wonderful opportunity to encourage kids’ creativity. On October 5^th, the Center will be hosting a “Mural Party!” There will be readings from children’s books on Diego Rivera (who painted alongside our own Miné Okubo) and his wife Frieda Kahlo, a Diego-inspired wall mural for painting, and self-portraits of Frieda for kids to color and take home. In November we’ll be making Day of the Dead masks, and for December we’ll have Christmas cards for decorating, complete with a sweet holiday print by Miné!

In addition to these special events, the Center is open to the public every Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Current exhibits include: “Riverside Stories,” an exploration of seven local families and individuals who sought to make the American Dream more just and inclusive; “Miné Okubo: An Introduction,” a retrospective of nearly sixty years of paintings by the famed RCC alumna and author of Citizen 13660; and the documentary Ain’t Gonna Be Treated This Way. If you are interested in joining our mailing list, volunteering, or scheduling a weekday tour or event, please contact the Center at 951-222-8846 or socialjustice@rccd.edu, or check out our website at http://socialjustice.rccd.edu. You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/CSJCLRiverside and on Twitter and Instagram @CSJCLRiverside.