Join us as we explore the past of our country to understand the present and help shape the planning for the future.
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Saturday - January 31st, 2015 @ 9:30am -12:30pm
NEW LOCATION!
OUTNOW - 1695 Main St. (2nd floor), Springfield, MA 01103
Episode 1 -Promises Betrayed (1865-1896) & Episode 2 - Fighting Back (1896-1917)
The premiere episode begins with the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction, periods that held so much promise for free black men and women. The second episode explores the dramatic rise of a successful black middle class and the determination of white supremacists to destroy this fledgling black political power.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness
Saturday - February 21, 2015 @ 9:30am - 12:30pm
Location TBA - Springfield, MA
Moving to present day, The New Jim Crow is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans and other People of Color locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.
Discussion following each film:
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How do we create a space to engage in deep, meaningful dialogue about race, racism, and structural inequity in the age of mass incarceration and a so called post-racial society.
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How zero tolerance rhetoric emerged within the school environment and influenced the criminalization of youth in the larger social picture and have impacted school discipline policies which have been influenced by the war on drugs and the “get tough” movement.
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How we began viewing youth in schools as potential violators rather than as children needing our guidance.
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Strategize presentation of recommendations for local police departments and local school systems.
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Engage in the critical questions of how we managed to create, nearly overnight, a penal system unprecedented in world history, and how that system actually functions — as opposed to the way it is advertised.
Below are links to resources and articles:
Holyoke Public Schools review by state education department moved up
Report: Black, Latino Students Disproportionately Disciplined In Mass. Schools
178 Complaints Filed Against Springfield Police Department
MAP: 71 Police-Involved Deaths In Massachusetts From 2004 - 2014
Mayor Sarno Signs New Executive Order Creating Community Police Hearing Board: The Executive Order is aimed at increasing police accountability to the community while assuring professional management of the Police Department.
The Racial Equity Monthly Meetings are designed to help individuals committed to Racial Justice and Equity collectively develop a deeper understanding of and address racism in their personal lives, organizations and community. The meetings also provide networking opportunities and support local organizing efforts.
220 State St
Springfield, MA 01103
United States
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