Film Series Examines Voting Rights in America
Alma College is sponsoring a Voting in America film series leading up to November’s presidential election.
The films, part of Alma College’s annual Constitution Week programming, will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25 in the chapel and 7 p.m. Thursdays Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 in the Swanson Academic Center Room 113. Admission is free and open to the public.
“We learned in 2008 that the youth vote matters,” says Kristin Olbertson, assistant professor of history at Alma College. “Voter turnout among college-aged students was 49 percent, the highest since 1992 and two percentage points higher than in 2004. The film series will remind students and all who attend that not all people in our history have had the right to vote and that sacrifices were made to ensure the right to vote.”
Constitution Week: Sept. 17-21
Voter registration forms and fact sheets will be provided following the first two films, says Olbertson. Refreshments also will be served.
Sept. 25/”ReGeneration” (81 minutes), narrated by Ryan Gosling, explores the influences that perpetuate an apathetic approach to social and political causes by youth and young adults. The film features three intersecting stories of students, parents and artists looking for their place in society as scholars, activists and media personalities provide their insight into the ideas and movements that can inspire change.
Oct. 4/”La Raza Unida” (26 minutes) documents the first national convention in 1972 of La Raza Unida, an American political party whose membership consisted primarily of Mexican-American citizens. It features speeches, caucus meetings and discussion by some of the era’s leading Chicano leaders. A panel discussion follows the film. Panelists include Stephany Slaughter, assistant professor of Spanish, and Britt Cartrite, associate professor of political science.
Oct. 11/”Iron Jawed Angels” (125 minutes) features Oscar-winner Hilary Swank in a contemporary look at a pivotal event in American history, telling the true story of how a pair of defiant young activists took the women’s suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote.
Oct. 25/”ACLU Freedom Files: Voting Rights” (27 minutes) acknowledges that many Americans still fight for the freedom to vote despite the passage in 1965 of the Voting Rights Act. This film illustrates the impact of disenfranchisement on everyday lives and introduces individuals who are doing their part to realize the American dream.
Nov. 1/”Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election” (47 minutes) documents the controversial battle for the presidency in Florida that resulted in the election of George W. Bush. A panel discussion follows the film. Panelists include Bill Gorton, assistant professor of political science at Alma College, and John Kaczynski, assistant professor of political science at Saginaw Valley State University.
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Posted: Sun, September 16th, 2012 at 12:00AM
