Public Defense Day Screening & Community Discussion

Black Alliance of Thurston County partners with the Thurston County Public Defense to celebrate Public Defense Day with a screening of “13^th,” followed by a frank discussion about race and justice in the U.S. and Thurston County. 

We invite you to join us and to share this message with others. Refreshments will be served and there is plenty of free parking. All are welcome.

When & Where: Thursday, March 16th from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation Sanctuary (2315 Division St NW, Olympia 98502).

Why: March 18^th is Public Defense Day, set on the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court Decision Gideon v. Wainwright which first ruled that an indigent criminal defendant is entitled to effective assistance of qualified counsel in their defense.  

About 13^th, a 2016 American documentary by director Ava DuVernay. Centered on race in the United States criminal justice system, the film is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed slavery (unless as punishment for a crime). DuVernay's documentary opens with the idea that 25 percent of the people in the world who are incarcerated are incarcerated in the U.S. and argues that slavery is being effectively perpetuated in the U.S. through mass incarceration. 13th has garnered acclaim from film critics, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Oscars.^[1]

Cosponsors: Thurston County Public Defense, Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation (OUUC), The United Churches of Olympia (TUCO) & the Black Alliance of Thurston County

Next Race in Film Series: April 20, Parts II & III: “Many River to Cross”