Race, Inclusion & Society

"For a crime he committed in his early twenties, the courts sentenced Marlon Peterson to 10 years in prison -- and, as he says, a lifetime of irrelevance. While behind bars, Peterson found redemption through a penpal mentorship program with students from Brooklyn. In this brave talk, he reminds us why we should invest in the humanity of those people society would like to disregard and discard." (7:25)

"As kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for a young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In a heartfelt piece, the poet paints the scene of his father's furious and fearful response." (5:05)

"As the Baltimore riots rage over the death of Freddie Gray, The Telegraph looks at a timeline of recent US police shootings involving black victims." (1:32)

"Meet the Press looks at how the media would have covered the Walter Scott shooting without the cell phone video." (6:54)

"Human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares some hard truths about America's justice system, starting with a massive imbalance along racial lines: a third of the country's black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. These issues, which are wrapped up in America's unexamined history, are rarely talked about with this level of candor, insight and persuasiveness." (23:16)

"Three friends struggle to survive in South Central Los Angeles where friendship, pain, danger and love form a true picture of life in "the hood." Available in the Detroit Mercy library

"Oscar wakes up on New Years's Eve and decides to try and be a better person to those he cares about. The day goes well until an encounter with police officers puts him in the national spotlight." Available in the Detroit Mercy library

"Starr Carter navigates the perilous waters between her poor, black neighborhood and her prestigious, mainly white private school. This all changes when she finds herself in the middle of racial activism after her best friend is shot by police officers, and she's forced to make a decision. Allow the media to skewer her friend to protect the status quo, or stand up and tell the truth in memory of Khalil?" Available in the Detroit Mercy library

"Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they're falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on the true story. "

Just Mercy takes us inside America’s broken criminal justice system and compels us to confront inequality and injustice. Based on the bestselling book, the Just Mercy movie presents the unforgettable story of Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and the case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who was convicted and sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit.