Cultural Diversity Film and Discussion Series
Presented by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, The Cultural Diversity Film and Discussion Series has been meeting since 1995. The purpose of the group is to provide a forum for parents, faculty, students, and members of the community to celebrate multiculturalism and to achieve a greater understanding of diversity issues. The topics may include ethnic, economic, political, religious, sexual, cognitive, and developmental diversity themes as they may appear in contemporary and historical films. The group’s intention is to help foster an environment of inclusion and respect at Park and to support the school’s commitment to developing and maintaining a diverse student and faculty population. All events are free and open to the public. 7:00pm screenings followed by discussion are free and open to the public.
Recent Events
Bullied: a Student, a School and a Cast that Made History (39 min)
April 24, 2022
Bullied is a documentary film that chronicles one student’s ordeal at the hands of anti-gay bullies and offers an inspiring message of hope to those fighting harassment today. It can become a cornerstone of anti-bullying efforts in middle and high schools.
Bullied is designed to help administrators, teachers, and counselors create a safer school environment for all students, not just those who are gay and lesbian. It is also intended to help all students understand the terrible toll bullying can take on its victims, and to encourage students to stand up for their classmates who are being harassed.
Bullied has been endorsed by the National Education Association (NEA).
United Skates (1 hr 29 min)
February 21, 2020
For years, roller skating rinks have been a constant for African-American communities across the U.S., serving as a meeting ground, a place to have fun and an incubator of iconic hip-hop talents like Queen Latifah and N.W.A.
As America’s last standing roller rinks are threatened with closure, a community joins forces in a racially charged environment to save the underground African-American subculture of roller skating, which has been overlooked by the mainstream for generations – yet has given rise to some of the world’s greatest musical talents.
3 Lessions of Revolutionary Love in a Time of Rage (22 min, TED Talk by Valarie Kaur)
January 17, 2020
Valarie Kaur’s talk at TEDWomen ’17 pulls together stories and studies in ethics, law, and science, making the case for why Revolutionary Love is the call of our times.
What is the antidote to rising nationalism, polarization, and hate in the US and around the globe? Movement lawyer, filmmaker, and civil rights activist Valarie Kaur argues that we must reclaim love as a public ethic. Kaur redefines love as a form of sweet labor — bloody, imperfect, life-giving. When we pour love in three directions — toward others, opponents, and ourselves, then love becomes revolutionary. Through a journey that spans the birthing room to sites of bloodshed, Kaur leaves us with a singular call to action: how do we begin to birth a new future? Do like the midwife says: Breathe. Then…Push.
From Swastika to Jim Crow (1 hr)
November 14, 2019
Based on the book by Gabrielle Simon Edgcomb, this documentary tells the little known story of Jewish intellectuals who escaped Nazi Germany to the U.S. in the 1930s. Confronted with antisemitism at American universities and public distrust of foreigners, they secured teaching positions at traditionally black colleges in the then-segregated South. The complex interactions between these two groups are recalled through historic footage and moving firsthand testimonials by African-American and Jewish scholars, activists, and artists.
View a complete list of all books read and films viewed for the Cultural Diversity Film and Discussion Series.
