The Public Commons: Access to Water/ Clean Air
Wednesday, April 8th at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
This week’s two films and speaker deal with the “public commons”: what do humans/ citizens have a right to in the world? Are clean air and clean water rights? (Don’t humans need both to survive?) Should everything be “commodified” – made into a “good” for the profit of corporations to be sold only to those who can pay for these natural resources?
11:00a.m. Film: “Flow” (For the Love of Water 2008 – 84 min.)
This feature deals with the World Water Crisis in what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century. The film takes us to Bolivia, South Africa, India, and Michigan and presents the the essential issues in the” water wars” - privatization, pollution and profit. The filmshows people around the world who are being harmed by corporations which claim rights over their water. This is an Award-Wining Film and discloses what Michael Klare termed, “resource wars”.
1:00p.m. “Fighting Goliath: The Texas Coal Wars”
Film: Fighting Goliath (2007, 30 min.)
Narrated by Robert Redford, this film follows the story of Texans fighting a high-stakes battle for clean air. The story centers around unlikely partners-mayors, ranchers, lawyers, cities, citizens, green groups, and CEO’s-who came together to oppose the construction of 18 coal-fired power plants in Texas.
Speaker: Ryan Rittenhouse
Following the short film, Mr. Ryan Rittenhouse of Texas Public Citizen, a public advocacy group that was part of the coalition that successfully prevented the construction of one coal-fired plant in Texas, will bring us up-to-date with the issues presented – clean air and water resources in our state.
Online Resources
Body of War: Film and Talk by Ellen Spiro
Body of War Film Screening at 11:00 a.m.
Meet Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine – wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week! This film presents the face of war as a naked and honest portrayal of what it’s like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man and a critique of the political process that sanctioned the war.
Producer Ellen Spiro 1:00 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
“Seeing Ourselves: The Power & Passion of Film”
Ellen Spiro will speak on “making” the Body of War–knowing Tomas; working with Phil Donahue; dealing with politics of war and issues of Iraq war veterans and other social and political realities. Currently Ms. Spiro teaches film at the University of Texas. An award winning Guggenheim and Rockefeller fellow and Emmy Award winner, her films have been shown at festivals and broadcast worldwide on PBS, HBO, BBC, CBC (Canada), and NHK (Japan).
African Burial Ground & Its Discovery
Wednesday, March 4th, 12:45 p.m.
Does Historic Preservation Matter – Manhattan to Houston?
Speaker and short film with Christopher Moore, the journalist who, despite the effort to suppress it, broke the story and later produced a film for the History Channel that tells about the 1991 discovery – under what is today some of the most expensive real estate in the world – of the vast (more than 20,000 remains) burial ground used by the Africans – most of them slaves – in the 1600’s through the 18th century in downtown Manhattan – New York City.
A host of questions, both logistical and ethical, followed this discovery during the excavations for construction of a federal office building. How does one properly handle heritage and who ‘owns’ history? Could a burial ground containing more than 20,000 remains be simply forgotten? Does knowledge that can be gained justify the excavation of a burial site?
This dramatic discovery set off a major political firestorm pitting citizens concerned with the history and heritage represented in burial ground against the U.S. Government which initially planned to destroy the cemetery. Excavation of the vast slave burial ground allowed scholars a chance to learn from the large number of remains – both about the Africans and the society in which they lived. Ultimately, the process led to the creation of the first, and only, National Monument honoring the contributions of slaves to the building of America.
Thanks to the Houston Society of Archaeological Institute of America, Northwest College has the opportunity to host Mr. Christopher Moore. He will tell the story of the African Burial Ground discovery, reflect on what became a “cause celebre” in the African American Community and in American anthropology
Dr. Michael Botson, professor of history at Northwest College, will introduce our speaker and reflect on sites of historical significance for the African American presence in Texas.