Social Justice Lecture Series Comes To Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA – A new free Social Justice Lecture Series is coming to Santa Monica College in Fall 2017, and will feature presentations, talks, and discussions exploring the concept of social justice. Some of the events include a lecture by a juvenile justice attorney; a film screening and discussion about homelessness along with a clothing drive; a film screening and discussion about a group of inmates who turned to theatre to feel "human again."

The series lineup, according to the Santa Monica College press release, is:

• September 5 – Frankie Guzman: “From Breaking Laws to Making Laws: Insights from a Former ‘Juvenile Delinquent,’ Now a Juvenile Justice Attorney.” A juvenile justice attorney at the National Center for Youth Law in Oakland, CA, Frankie Guzman is working to reduce prosecuting and incarcerating children in California’s adult criminal justice system, and advocating for alternative sentencing and local treatment. Guzman, incarcerated as a teen, went on to become a community college transfer student to UC Berkeley and graduate of the UCLA School of Law with a specialization in Public Interest Law and Policy. Today, he is an expert in juvenile law and policy and is a co-author of numerous juvenile justice laws, including California’s Proposition 57 passed in 2016 in partnership with the Office of Governor Jerry Brown. Co-sponsored by SMC Law Pathways. The talk will be held at 11:15 a.m. in Humanities & Social Sciences Lecture Hall 165.

• September 21 – Film Screening, Panel Discussion, & Clothing Drive: “Approaches to Alleviating Homelessness.” An informative documentary screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring experts on the topic of homelessness and how to address it in our community and beyond. The program also launches a clothing drive to assist homeless individuals, veterans, and a battered women’s shelter. Co-sponsored by the SMC African American Collegiate Center and SMC English Department. The event will be held at 11:15 a.m. in Humanities & Social Sciences Lecture Hall 165.

• October 12 – Documentary Film Screening and Discussion: Bruce Levitt: “Human Again.” The critically praised, award-winning documentary by Cornell University Professor Bruce Levitt, “Human Again” tells the story of a group of Auburn Correctional Facility inmates who have turned to theater as a way to become “a community of transformation.” A Q&A with the filmmaker, who was the acting group’s facilitator and received Cornell’s first-ever "Engaged Faculty" award, follows the screening. Co-sponsored by the SMC English Department, SMC Black Collegians, SMC Adelante Program, and SMC Film Studies Program. The film screening and discussion will be held at 11:15 a.m. in Humanities & Social Sciences Lecture Hall 165.

All presentations in the series will be held at 11:15 a.m. on the Santa Monica College main campus located at 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Seating is strictly on a first-arrival basis, for more information, call (310) 434-4100.

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