In celebration of Constitution Day on September 17, four faculty members hosted an event to celebrate voting rights. Using Zoom, participants viewed the PBS documentary “And She Could Be Next,” followed by a panel discussion.
Organized by Elizabeth Stassinos, Ph.D., professor of ethnic and gender studies, the panel included H. Zahra Caldwell, Ph.D., assistant professor of ethnic and gender studies; Brian Chen, Ph.D., associate professor of English; and Charles DiStefano, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science.
The film offered an ethnographic look at grassroots organizing and community involvement. Throughout the viewing, participants facilitated comments about voting and encouraged students about the importance of exercising their right to vote, which so many courageous individuals have fought diligently and sacrificed much to facilitate.
The film also sparked conversations about how some individuals are fearful due to the unknown/ignorance, and how some individuals are aware that they are unfairly judged by the color of their skin or their religious preference. Other points included the inherent biases perpetuated by the mainstream media, and the difficulty in finding the truth despite those biases.
Overall, the viewing of the shared documentary provided an opportunity to facilitate open and productive discussions about of a variety of issues surrounding equality, acceptance, and compassion for all individuals.