Issues of race take center stage in film series
“Race in America: Past, Present & Future” is a free film and discussion series that kicks off Sunday (Sept. 18) on the uptown campus of Tulane University.
The film series is a joint effort between the Tulane Center for Public Service, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the nonprofit Welcome Table of New Orleans.
Carolyn Barber-Pierre, assistant vice president for student affairs at Tulane, said open discussions on issues of race and inequality are good to get students thinking about the change they’d like to see in the world.
“Because of events in the news,” said Barber-Pierre, “it is a good time to talk about what it would take to improve race relations and ensure equity for all citizens.”
The series begins Sunday (Sept. 18) with the film Slavery by Another Name at 6:30 p.m., which addresses the fact that many African Americans were still enslaved until the end of WWII. Following the screening there will be a panel discussion featuring Nghana Lewis, associate professor in the School of Liberal Arts and Erin Greenwald of the Historic New Orleans Collection. Deborah Love, vice president of Tulane’s Office of Institutional Equity will provide a brief overview and information relevant current laws.
On Sunday (Oct. 9) at 6:30 p.m., the series continues with The House I Live In, a film that explores the racial motivation behind the war on drugs.
Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, which follows the pilgrimage of a family learning about their slave-trading ancestors in Rhode Island, will conclude the film series on Monday (Oct. 24) at 6:30 p.m. Katrina Browne, the director of the film, will be present for discussion following the screening.
All screenings will take place in the Kendall Cram Room of the Lavin-Bernick Center.
