You can watch “13th” here:
https://youtu.be/krfcq5pF8u8
As we continue to watch our black and brown friends and neighbors rise up and say enough is enough to systemic oppression and racism which too often leads to incarceration at best or death at the hands of those sworn to serve and protect like we saw with George Floyd. The question that keeps coming up is, what can we do? What can we do as individuals and as a community of followers of Jesus? We might have marched in Pacifica on Saturday, June 6, 2020 or put up Black Lives Matter posters on our cars and homes, knowing full well that won’t be enough to change what we are being told is pervasive throughout our system.
What can we do? We can start by educating ourselves and listening to the stories and experiences of those in our communities who have dealt with the insidious effects of implicit and/or direct racism.
As a first step we will be facilitating a Zoom discussion around the 2016 Netflix Documentary “13th” in which, “Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.” – Google
We are asking that you watch the documentary on Netflix with the questions below in mind and then join us on Friday, June 19th from 5-7pm. You can watch the full documentary here.
Questions to consider as you watch:
- What emotions did you experience while watching the film?
- What pieces of information presented was totally novel (new) to you?
- What comes to mind as tangible sustainable action we can take to start to reverse the effects of years of oppression you saw depicted in 13th?
Our goal is to create a safe space for awareness and education where empathy can grow into compassion which has to be a catalyst to action in our world as it was so often for Jesus. Here is a short 10 minute video, that is a great starting point for education, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man – Episode 1.
Agenda for the evening:
- Welcome and Framing (10 min)
- Documentary Discussion (35 min)
- Personal Stories & Group Discussion(45 min)
- Jason Ghirarduzzi
- Julie-Ann Burkhart
- Sharon Harrison
- Jason Ghirarduzzi
- Individual & Community Next Steps (30 min)
Register to get the Zoom Link to join on Friday, June 19th 5-7pm:
REGISTER HERE
