Movie nights via Zoom are becoming more and more of a common occurrence for people all over the world. Last week, the Citizen Scholars program joined this trend! We watched the movie 13th, a documentary about how the justice system and systemic racism go hand in hand. This movie has a lot to discuss and absorb, so students and Citizen Scholars staff had a discussion afterward to share some of our thoughts.
During the discussion, many students voiced that topics in this film were not ideas we discussed in school. The group discussed how much there is to do to repair the systemic issues in our country involving race, and specifically those in the justice system. At the end of the conversation, many students were looking for a direction they could go in with this new information to try and help.
Luckily, Dr. Moroski-Rigney, Citizen Scholars director, provided a great opportunity for members of the program. In Tennessee, there is a women’s prison where many of the people who live there are studying in college. Due to the global pandemic, these classes have stopped, along with visitations, leaving many of these women in isolation. To help break this issue, Dr. Moroski-Rigney offered students the opportunity to write letters to the women. Students who participate would send out their letters this month to help with some of the harder emotions that come with the holiday season.
As Citizen Scholars, our goal is to take the information we have learned and use it to help be the change we want to see. With this movie night, we hope students will take this opportunity and help others in their life.