What constitutes a “good” school, and for whom? Who is included in the vision of education as the great equalizer, and who is left out? This winter, Cinema 53 curator Eve L. Ewing explores the central role that race has played in the experience of schooling in America with a series of documentaries and discussions. Tonight, Ewing hosts a screening of American Promise, a rare look into the lives of two middle class Black families as they navigate the ups and downs of educating their sons. From PreK to high school, we see the families struggle with stereotypes and identity, navigate learning differences that later become diagnoses, and ultimately take increasingly divergent paths on their road to graduation. (Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, 2013, 135 min) Followed by conversation with Amanda Lewis, Director of the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, UIC.

Cinema 53 is a screening and discussion series presenting conversation-provoking films by and about women and people of color. Curated by Gray Center director Jacqueline Stewart.

Free and open to the public. Find out more here.