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On Wednesday, February 8, The Annapolis Valley Regional School Board’s AVID Series, in conjunction with the Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre, is hosting a screening of the powerful and profound documentary film "Prom Night in Mississippi," followed by a discussion led by the film’s director Paul Saltzman.
Saltzman's visit is part of the AVRSB Annapolis Valley Initiatives in Diversity (AVID) Series, which features guest lectures and presentations on Race Relations, Cross Cultural Understanding, and Human Rights (RCH) related issues. The AVID Series creates tools for inspiration, reflection and action by offering opportunities to engage with diversity issues in a meaningful and challenging way.
The film follows the 2008 effort, led by actor Morgan Freeman, to bring the first non-segregated prom to the high school students of Charleston, Mississippi, Freeman’s hometown. In 1997, he offered to pay for the prom if both black and white students could attend, but the offer was declined. In 2008 he tried again and the offer was at last accepted. The resulting film follows a group of young people who defy old prejudices and successfully stand up for their core values of diversity and inclusion.
Director-Producer Paul Saltzman and Producer Patricia Aquino founded an organization called “Moving Beyond Prejudice,” whose mission is to “directly and positively impact the attitudes, beliefs and prejudices of students, youth-at-risk and adults” by using the film as a starting point. The director has facilitated the post-film discussions at screenings around the country with powerful results.
The MIPAC screening will begin at 7pm, with the lobby doors opening at 6:30pm. There is no charge for this event, and it is open to all members of the public. For more information, please contact Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre at (902) 798-5841 or RCH Division of AVRSB at (902) 538-4735.