PELHAM, NY — On Wednesday, June 1 at 7:00 p.m. The Picture House Regional Film Center (TPH) will continue its new film series, Worldview with a screening of the documentary Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot followed by a discussion and Q&A with Lecia Brooks, Outreach Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot is the true story of the forgotten heroes in the fight for voting rights—the courageous students and teachers of Selma, Alabama, who stood up against injustice despite facing intimidation, arrests and violence. By organizing and marching bravely, these change-makers achieved one of the most significant victories of the civil rights era. The sacrifices of those who fought so hard for equality should never be forgotten. In the 2012 presidential election, more than 90 million eligible voters did not go to the polls. In the 18–24 age group, only six out 10 voted. And, in 2014, voter turnout dropped to a 72-year low.
This 40-minute film, narrated by Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, is a crucial reminder that each of us has the ability to bring about powerful social change and will help inspire young people and communities across the nation to exercise their right to participate in our democracy.
After the screening, TPH Director of Programming Clayton Bushong will moderate a discussion and Q&A with Lecia Brooks. Brooks leads the Southern Poverty Law Center’s outreach efforts on key initiatives and social justice issues. As outreach director, she frequently gives presentations around the country to promote tolerance and diversity. She also serves as director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, AL, an interpretive center designed to provide visitors to the Civil Rights Memorial with a deeper understanding of the civil rights movement. She joined the SPLC staff in 2004 as director of Mix It Up at Lunch Day, a Teaching Tolerance program designed to help break down racial, cultural and social barriers in schools. Previously, she worked for 12 years in a number of capacities for the National Conference for Community and Justice in its Los Angeles office. She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University.
The five-part Worldview film series explores — through the lens of film — how we learn about people and issues outside of our daily sphere of reference and what our responsibility is to the global society at large. Films are recent releases— both documentary and narrative, international and domestic—that expose the audience to a perspective of a culture, an issue, or an event that is exceptional in its depth, access, or nuance. The series consists of daytime educational screenings and discussions for middle and high school students from Westchester and the Bronx plus an evening public screening and post-film discussion with a well-known moderator and guests. The Worldview series is made possible by the generous support of the Countess Moira Charitable Foundation.
Tickets to the public screening of Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot and post-film discussion are $15/general admission, $12/members, $10/seniors and FREE for students who present valid i.d. and are available at www.thepicturehouse.org or at the box office, 175 Wolfs Lane, Pelham, NY 10803. School and community groups interested in daytime educational screenings in the Worldview series should contact education@thepicturehouse.org or call 914-738-3161.