English Department students and faculty will host a Zoom meeting focusing on the film Just Mercy on Tuesday, July 7, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. This event will mark the beginning of an ongoing discussion series based on student interests and ideas for confronting racism at IUP and everywhere.
The movie is about the lawyer Bryan Stevenson's work to free a falsely convicted death-row prisoner. This case is one of thousands in which race has played a part in sending innocent people to prison.
To participate, watch Just Mercy on You Tube or Google Play, where it is available for free through the end of June. Then email the Graduate English Programs secretary, Peggy Kane, at grad-eng@iup.edu to receive the information to get into the Zoom meeting.
To prepare even more for the discussion, you can learn more about the filmfrom Smithsonian Magazine and learn more about the work of Bryan Stevenson, the attorney involved in the events depicted, and find short discussions on the film. You might also find materials or issues there to focus on in the next meeting for the whole group. Just make your suggestions.
If you don't have time to watch the whole film, that's okay. Just come to the discussion and get involved. That's what's important here. Invite others as well, and let's make IUP a model for how academia can address racism. Please emailTom Slater at tslater@iup.edu with any questions or ideas, and watch for an invitation to the Zoom meeting by the end of the month.
To start suggesting questions or thoughts about the movie to include in our discussion, please go to IUP Forum to Build Social Understanding at Facebook. If you have any questions, contact Tom Slater at tslater@iup.edu.