In a community partnership project, Calvert Library Prince Frederick is hosting a showing and discussion of the Ava DuVernay’s documentary about race, justice and mass incarceration, 13th. The main event is Thursday, August 24 with the movie starting at 5:30pm and the discussion scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. For those whom 5:30pm on a weeknight is too early, the library will also show the film at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 19 with the anticipation that those viewers will be able to attend the discussion at 7:15 p.m. on August 24.
The film itself is a critically-acclaimed and thought-provoking film and won the Peabody award and BAFTA for Best Documentary in 2016. The discussion promises to be rich and provocative. Dusty Rhoades and Willetta Love from the Community Mediation Center of Calvert County will moderate. Partners and participants include All Saints Episcopal Church, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Community Mediation Center of Calvert County, the Honorable E. Gregory Wells of the Calvert County Circuit Court, Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, Calvert County NAACP, Point of Change Jail and Street Ministry and Remnant Center of Excellence.
Calvert Library summer student intern and Calvert High School rising junior, Le’Andre Campbell has helped collect questions to think about prior to seeing the film, as well as questions to kick the discussion off afterwards. When asked about his interest he said, “I saw this documentary on Netflix and I think it’s an important topic to discuss. I’m so glad to have the opportunity to get the community together to talk and I’m working on getting other teens to the library for the event.”
Michael Kent with the NAACP will talk about what is happening on the local level around this issue of mass incarceration. A representative of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland will talk about related legislation at the state level. Others involved in the legal and penal system will be available to answer questions and provide information from their own experience. Content of the film is intense and parental guidance is encouraged.