In July, as a member of the Delaware Humanities, I was asked to help vet several films for the Wilmington Film Fesrtval – Loving Karma, Crime & Parody. as well as Take Me Home. Regarding films, I am a bit od an addict but, documentaries as well- that is another story. I was lucky enough to witness and be a part of one of the best International Documentary film festivals in Mexico and ever since, was hooked. These films every year had the ability to reach down and touch you within, in many ways. October 24, 2015- I sat in Parque Mexico, in Condesa and watched the film Amy and was enamored with the amazing depth documentaries can provide.
In today’s world. I try to convince youth they need to live by this mantra –
-they need to make politicians, adults, and change makers to feel more uncomfortable than they feel every day.
This is an inner conviction I have based on how I have seen a majority of adults treat youth, pushing them to the side and considering them not yet ready for the decisions adults make, and watching the decisions being made by these adults to be disastrous, isolating, and detrimental. I want to see youth being apprentices to their and the world’s future- and that does not mean saying or treating youth flippantly and as not ready. Feeling uncomfortable sets a chain of reactions in motion to move towards change. Sometimes negative but always striving for positive changes not realized.
Youth need to be more ready than today, than ever, to reverse mentalities towards the world that do not consider them.
As I sat in the movie theatre – Theatre N in Wilmington, having just come from a morning of supporitng Apple Scrapple, I thought, was driving from Bridgeville to Wilmington necessary supporting this Delaware Humanities vetting of Crime and Parody? Then I thought, what makes us human, what makes the word Humanities come alive is the very thing os many do not do. Play it safe, do as a little is necessary, yourself first and everyone else behind you, I get these concepts. Yet, as I live in this world, I see so many people compromised and disadvantaged due to so many others lack of conviction to want to make a change. Unfortunately, I am the type of person that can’t sit by idly and see suffering because of my lack of wanting to make a change. I try, I really, really try and well, I just can’t. While many consider that a curse or a compromising quality, I have been lucky to be surrounded by some amazing individuals, young and old, that have helped make better change.
In Crime and Parody, one of the biggest takje aways, for me, has been encouraging youth to find their voice and question EVERYTHING. Utilize their voice in a world now dominated by would be dictators, at so many levels, trying to bend politics to their personal benefit, rather than the world itself. The lack of conviction and lack of confidence in the time when it is most needed, if you can believe it, will result in even worse repercussions financially, spiritually, culturally, and in so many other areas that define us as humans. Youth need to feel more empowered to hold government officials
Parody, qualified immunity, free speech, the First Amendment, just scrape the surface of what Crime and Parody struck me in seeing this again, but now in a movie theatre. On the way out of the screening, I, believe it or not, ran into Scott Michels, while on that brief moment in Wilmington!
(The Cause= Collective Action Urging Social Action) I do believe there is nothing that happens mostly by chance, and behind events, there usually is an underlying reason – and the point of involving youth in events, that allow public officials, as well as community leaders, off the hook when they need to be held accountable- this masks what communities need when they are impacted behind a veil of protection that often can be unjust.
In the 2026 Party Six, The Do Good a Thon, involved Youth for School libraries had a chance to represent so many different possiblities of ways to impact change- check out this link https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1477033610811236 at the point of 2:04 to see a glimpse of how we had a station represented by students from many different schools!
Having a chance to see local DE experts on how this all ties in together was GREAT.
Mike Brickner, from the Delaware ACLU was very informative but also a GREAT source of information and I had many questions and connections in my head swarming of how youth could benefit from questions and answers he has, on many issues as well as the two families represented in this film. His information about some cases in DE regarding qualified immunity were fascinating and informative- as well as his realization and first hand information on various incidents that occurred when he was in Ohio. Tamir Rice, Timothy Russel and Malissa Williams, as well as 11 shootings, in one year, by police departments of black individuals- this is definitely overdue for qualified immunity to come under scrutiny. I liked the point made that is is not laws and regulations that change injustices, but the agitation of these issues that make the changes.
Fellow Delaware Humanities Board member Kimeu W. Boynton, JD, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice was a clear example of the diversity in professionalism fields that the Delaware Humanities contains. With the criminal Justice slant and expertise, the questions on qualified immunity as well as the juxtaposition of these two families represented, was discussed with several different points made. Being able to reference and connect the film to local impacts and implications was key, and knowing Mr. Boynton sits in a position in a local Delaware University additionally highlights potential topics of conversation that cameup, and will come up, regarding jutice in cases of these represented.
As students come together and strategize for the Sussex County Youth Mental Health coalition, to offer events, opportunities, and more to Sussex County and the state, youth and school libraries represent the center of possibilities where students strategize, plan, create and implement.
What many might see as an issue above their knowledge base, or a topic just for adults, not pushing back on individual rights is more important than ever, as well as the right to access information, where ever people choose. It is up to the people to realize what is legitimate, have a choice, but also having a space where youth can belong in this need for change. The need for feeling uncomfortable with many topics that impact other areas of our community, is now more essential than ever.
