UU Lansing’s “Committee to End the New Jim Crow” began as a study group reading Michelle Alexander’s 2010 book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, and over the next decade the group evolved into a broaderministry that organized many initiatives to educate and activate our congregation on addressing mass incarceration and racism.

Core members of the “CENCJ” have reconvened recently to explore future activities, and they have invited the congregation to join them for a screening of the film The First Step at Celebration Cinema. Tickets are $10.99. (Meet in the lobby by 6:45 p.m. to greet other UU Lansing congregants and arrange to sit together!)

The film documents the efforts of Van Jones and many others to work across party lines on landmark Federal criminal justice reform that strives to create a more humane approach to the addiction crisis.

After the screening, we will have a discussion featuring Josh Hoe, Policy Manager at Dream.Org and Tony Gant, Director of Policy and Program Operations at Nation Outside.