The Constitution of the United States of America is meant to not only protect individual rights and liberties, but to also prevent the government from easily taking away those rights. Given our current climate the Constitution is especially important, but is it still serving its purpose and protecting the rights of ALL citizens? The CLA Change Team looks to explore this issue in honor of Constitution Day 2017, with a presentation of 13th, a Netflix original documentary.
According to the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, EXCEPT AS A PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” Ava DuVernay’s 2016 documentary traces the direct path from that 6-word loophole to our current system of mass incarceration. The film was nominated for an Academy-Award for Best Documentary Feature, and The New York Times called it “Powerful” and “infuriating…13th will get your blood boiling.”
The CLA Change Team invites the UMD community to a screening of the film, to be held on Monday, September 18, at 5:30 p.m in Solon Campus Center 120. Pizza will be provided before the screening, with a discussion to follow.
This event is the first of a 6-part film series sponsored by CLA during the 2017-18 academic year. It is a vital part of their efforts to promote practices of "inclusivity, equity, and respect" within their collegiate unit, and as part of a larger, campus-wide effort to work toward Campus Climate Goal #2: "Create a positive and inclusive campus climate for all by advancing equity, diversity and social justice."