GET INVOLVED

Now that you've seen the documentary, Race to Execution, here's how you can make a difference in your own community. There are several ways to get involved:

1. Organize an Event Before Broadcast with PBS/ITVS

  • In February 2007, ITVS will be hosting 26 screenings across the country as part of its Community Cinema initiative. Click here to see a list of the screening cities. If your city is not one of the 26, or if you'd like to host a screening before the ITVS events, contact Active Voice at info@activevoice.net.

  • If your organization would like to purchase or rent the film for a screening please write lionessmedia@gmail.com or visit www.filmakers.com

 

2. Host a House Party the Night of the Broadcast

  • The film will be shown nationwide on PBS on March 27, 2006. Host an informal screening event that night, or invite neighbors in for a house party! Check www.itvs.org, for further information and resources. We can help - contact us at lionessmedia@gmail.com.

 

3. Get the Word Out – Write a Letter

  • Write or call your representatives at the state and federal level and let them know how you feel about the death penalty. If your state does not already have one, ask for a moratorium on executions. With a new Congress taking shape early next year, the opportunity is here to make a change. Click here to download a sample letter.

  • Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper explaining what you saw in the film and how you feel about it. If you see an article about the death penalty, respond to it and call for action.

 

4. Educate Others on the Issues

  • This film is ideal for screening in educational settings and training legal professionals and activists. If you are a professor, screen the film in your classes. If you are a student, show the film to your teachers, professors, and classmates. A 30-minute educational version of the film will be available at the time of broadcast. Contact Rachel Lyon at lionessmedia@gmail.com for more information.

 

5. Stay Informed

  • Keep current on the status of the death penalty and related legislation in your state. Use your vote and your voice to speak up for what you believe in. There are many websites with up-to-date information available on the death penalty. 

 

6. Help Halt Executions in America Consider ways to ensure that the film’s message has a sustained impact beyond broadcast. For example:

  • If you work in the areas of criminal justice, race relations or human rights, incorporate the film into your work. Show clips of the film to your colleagues and start a discussion of the issues it addresses.

  • Bring the film to the attention of policymakers, especially if there is pending legislation in your state. Click here to download a sample letter.

  • Spread the word to other organizations and institutions that might benefit from it. You can use this film to bring together diverse communities who hold the same concerns about race relations, human rights and equal justice.

  • Recruit new members and garner support for organizational campaigns by showing the film.

 

Feel free to contact Active Voice to discuss your ideas or to advise on relevant policies or upcoming legislation: shaady@activevoice.net.