Social Activism (U)

<p>Bob Zellner brings to life the victories, struggles and heartbreaks of the Civil Rights era in a way that empowers and instructs audiences and the modern-day movement. </p><p>Bob is one of the most influential leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, from the 1960s to today. The son and grandson of Ku Klux Klan members, he risked his life – and nearly lost it – many times in the fight to achieve The Second Emancipation.

<p>Michelle Alexander’s acclaimed best-seller,<i> The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness</i> released a special 10th anniversary edition in January 2020.

<p>Gain a new and humbling perspective of success, adversity, leadership and perseverance as John Bul Dau reveals his story from South Sudanese refugee to prominent human rights advocate and entrepreneur.</p><p>Born in war-torn South Sudan, John was just 13 when he faced starvation, disease and violence as one of 27,000 boys driven from their villages during the country’s brutal civil war in 1987. Bravely leading displaced boys across Sudan for hundreds of miles, he eventually arrived in Kenya, and immigrated to the United States in 2001.

<p>Edward James Olmos is more than an award-winning actor—he is a cultural icon whose voice carries the weight of history, artistry, and activism.</p><p> From his Academy Award–nominated role in Stand and Deliver to unforgettable performances in <em>Selena, Blade Runner, </em>and <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>, Olmos has built one of the most enduring legacies in Hollywood. But his story extends far beyond the screen.

<p>Bree Newsome rallies your spirit with her impassioned message about racial equality and illustrates how, with courage, zeal and the support of others, ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference. </p><p>This contemporary civil rights icon first garnered national attention for her daring act of peaceful disobedience in June 2015.

<p>One of hip-hop’s most respected artists, Che "Rhymefest" Kweku delivers powerful insight on healing divides, finding your purpose, and empowering communities through the arts.</p><p>Rhymefest is a writer, artist, activist and teacher known for shattering negative stereotypes about hip-hop and establishing himself as a positive role model for underprivileged youth.

<p>Molly Barker is an American educator, social entrepreneur, and visionary. She is best known as the founder of Girls on the Run International, the self-esteem, youth-development and healthy lifestyle program for third- to eighth-grade girls. </p><p>Molly Barker started Girls on the Run International in 1996 with 13 girls in Charlotte, NC. Since then, the program has grown to include schools in all 50 states, inspiring over 2.5 million girls to know and activate their limitless potential.

<p>Former inner-city high school English teacher Erin Gruwell changed the lives of her students and became a change agent for the future of education with her philosophy of tolerance, respect, and the power of writing one’s own story.</p><p>Charged with turning around a class of low performing, underserved kids who lived in a community plagued by gang violence and racial hostility, Gruwell compared the family feud in <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> to a gang war and used the stories of Anne Frank and Zlata Filipović—students who wrote about their lives during wartime—t

<p><strong>Renowned activist, civil rights leader, community organizer and politician Benjamin Jealous outlines what it will take to secure true equality for all Americans and to empower the next generation to lead toward a better future.</strong></p><p>With a background in social justice advocacy, Ben brings a unique perspective to his role as Executive Director at the Sierra Club, focusing on issues of environmental justice, climate change, and conservation.

<p>For 40 years, photographer James Balog has broken new conceptual and artistic ground on one of the most important issues of our era: human modification of our planet’s natural systems. An avid mountaineer with a graduate degree in geography and geomorphology, James is equally at home on a Himalayan peak or a whitewater river, the African savannah or polar icecaps.</p><p>To reveal the impact of climate change, James founded the Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), the most wide-ranging, ground-based, photographic study of glaciers ever conducted.