Race, Combat, Social Justice and the Arts Intersect in AJAX and 'VISION & JUSTICE' in Brooklyn

An interactive program based on Sophocles tragedy Ajax from Theater of War Productions that will bring together professional actors, veterans, anti-gang violence activists, and community members in a provocative discussion of the visible and invisible effects of violence on individuals and communities on April 6.

A workshop and talk back with Sarah Lewis on "Vision & Justice: Photography, Race, and Power" and the current political moment are set for April 7 and April 21.

The events are hosted and co-organized by Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) as part of their mission to engage diverse communities in urgent discussions on the issues of our time. Scroll down for more information!

April 6 from 7-9pm, NYC's Public Artist in Residence Bryan Doerries and Theater of War Productions will bring together actors Reg E. Cathey and Amy Ryan alongside City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (District 45) for a dramatic reading of Sophocles' Ajax, followed by a town hall discussion with veterans, members of Save our Streets, and the Brooklyn community to explore the searing impact of violence and war on individuals, families, young people, and communities. The event will be facilitated by community activists Hailey Nolasco and David Gaskin, who both have personal experience with gang culture. David was a former gang member who now works with S.O.S. Crown Heights, Hailey is a project planner for the Bedford-Stuyvesant Anti-Violence Project. The event will be held at BPL's Crown Heights Branch.

April 7 and April 21 from 6:30-8pm, Harvard professor and art historian Sarah Lewis will present workshops on "Vision & Justice: Photography, Race, and Power," exploring how images can advance social justice or stymie it, from Frederick Douglass to #BlackLivesMatter, from Japanese internment camps to violence against Muslims. The program is based on the course Lewis teaches at Harvard and the landmark Aperture issue she guest-edited. The program will convene scholars, educators, thought-leaders and Brooklyn community members to explore perspectives on race over time and in the current political moment. The workshops will take place at BPL's Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza.