Education and Activism: The Legacy of the Black Panthers 2-2-2016
As a part of the Art of Teaching Film Series, three events were held last week under the umbrella:
Education and Activism: The Legacy of the Black Panthers
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016, we hosted a Independent Lens Pop Up Screening
of the Stanley Nelson Documentary:
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
The film was well attended by students and faculty, and afterwards there was a great discussion between Film Professor Damani Baker and History Professor Komozi Woodard:
(Start the clip at 7:00 minutes to avoid introductions)
Damani Baker and Komozi Woodard
The discussion, between a Sarah Lawrence College Alumni with his former Don, was like watching the conference process in action on a higher level. I was struck by the breadth of the word, activism, as these men spoke about history, the roles we chose, and how what we do and what we fight for is watched carefully by the young people around us. Komozi spoke of the importance of envisioning and of dreaming, which is at the heart of education and activism. Even though our country continues to struggle with issues from the era of the Black Panther Movement, young people have the capacity to envision something better for their community and have the power and energy to act on that vision. This not only is a legacy of the Black Panther movement, but movements before it, and those of the present and future.