Birmingham, AL – Three Alabama organizations are coming together for a year-round narrative campaign that will educate, engage, and mobilize communities and policymakers around the fight for justice reform. Alabama Values is partnering with The Beacon Center and Alabama Justice Initiative to bring together state-based organizations that have spent years working through various avenues to create a more just justice system. The campaign kicks off on July 31st at The Summit AMC theater in Birmingham with a 6pm screening of the A24 film, Sing Sing. The event is free, open to the public, and will include a community discussion after the film. Reservations can be made here.
Sing Sing is based on the real-life theater program of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. The film features an all-star cast including Academy Award Nominee Colman Domingo alongside formerly incarcerated individuals that participated in the actual Sing Sing theater program. The stunning look into an often hidden world shows the power of the arts in rehabilitation, and the film has received critical acclaim for doing so. The screening is made possible by a partnership between Alabama Values, A24, and The Just Trust.
“Creating fairer, more humane systems of justice and safety in this country requires a lot more than just policy change. It requires us to see people as people, even those who’ve made mistakes. That’s where storytelling — and beautiful films like Sing Sing — come in,” shares Jenna LeDoux of The Just Trust on the importance of the screening, “We hope that people will see beyond traditional labels, and challenge their assumptions about people behind bars. Sing Sing shows us that cultivating joy, play, and deep relationships is key to healing and rehabilitation — we need more of this in our justice system, not less.”
While criminal justice reform is a conversation that needs to happen on a national level, Alabama’s rank at the top in terms of fatalities and overcrowding makes it an even more crucial location for a new approach to rehabilitation and incarceration. “At Alabama Values, our mission is to amplify the voices of underrepresented and underserved communities in the fight for systemic change,” shares Alabama Values Executive Director Anneshia Hardy, “The Justice in Focus initiative is a call to action for Alabamians to learn more and get involved with justice reform in Alabama. I hope attendees leave the private screening informed and inspired.”
While most Americans recognize there are flaws in the current justice system, there is still a disconnect in the calling for true change. Justice in Focus uses three different objectives to encourage Alabamians to reimagine the state’s public safety and justice system. These objectives are:
Raise awareness about the disparities and unfair practices in Alabama’s justice system.
Engage the community through cultural events, visual storytelling, and strategic messaging.
Advocate for policy change at local and state levels.
The methods for achieving these goals fuse narrative storytelling with policy advocacy, including cultural events like the ‘Sing Sing’ screening, visual storytelling, artivism, messaging research, petitions, accountability websites for state legislatures, public forums, and communication support for justice reform coalitions in Alabama.
“Justice in Focus is important to get the narrative out to people as a whole,” shares Alabama Justice Initiative Deputy Director Veronica Johnson, “This is a great opportunity to present the narrative of Alabama Justice Initiative to people who may normally not have the chance to focus on what we are doing.”
“Our shared commitment to supporting our neighbors and fostering a just, inclusive community drives this collaboration,” shares Pastor Richard Williams, “At The Beacon Center, we believe in the transformative power of unity and advocacy, and the Justice in Focus initiative will make a impact. Together, we will work tirelessly to create lasting change and uplift those we serve.”
For more information on Justice in Focus kickoff and to RSVP, visit www.alvalues.org/event/singsing and follow Alabama Values on social media.
Alabama Values is a grassroots communications organization working to raise awareness and increase engagement around community issues in Alabama. They work directly with grassroots civic organizations advocating to build power and break down barriers to civic participation for communities across the state.
Founded in 2021, The Just Trust is a leading supporter of justice reform and public safety innovation in the United States. It works to power state and national advocacy efforts, media work, and narrative change campaigns across the country and across political divides to transform the criminal justice system in America into a smarter, more humane engine of justice and safety that makes our communities stronger. Learn more at TheJustTrust.org
Alabama Justice Initiative’s vision is to build power through policy, advocacy, civic engagement, and organizing those impacted by the criminal legal system.
The Beacon Center exists to remove barriers from our neighbors so that they can have a better life.