The Public Square at the IHC presents the Chicago premiere of the acclaimed documentary at the Chicago Cultural Center, followed by a panel discussion.
CHICAGO – The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council presents the Chicago premiere of the Iron Ladies of Liberia on Saturday, February 16th at2:00 p.m.at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater (77 E. Randolph St., Chicago).
Iron Ladies of Liberia chronicles the first year in office of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state. After the film, there will be a panel discussion on gender, democracy, and civil strife in Africa and beyond with Martha Biondi, Lynette Jackson, Prexy Nesbitt, and Paul Tiyambe Zeleza.
This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made by e-mailing events@prairie.org or by calling 312.422.5580. Independent Television Service (ITVS), the Chicago Cultural Center, Independent Lens, WTTW Channel 11, and CARE USA are the co-sponsors of this special screening.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Martha Biondi is an Associate Professor of African American Studies and History at Northwestern University. She specializes in 20th century African American history, with a focus on social movements, politics, ideology and protest.
Lynette Jackson is Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies and Associate Head and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the African American Studies Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jackson is the author of Surfacing Up: Psychiatry and Social Order in Colonial Zimbabwe (Cornell University Press 2005) and has written extensively on topics of gender, sexuality and health in African history.
Prexy Nesbitt is an activist and educator whose work over the past four decades has been connecting freedom-loving peoples in Africa, Europe and North America to each other, to strengthening progressive political and social movements on both continents. He has authored many articles and a small book, Apartheid in Our Living Rooms: US Foreign Policy and South Africa.
Paul Tiyambe Zeleza was recently appointed Professor and Head of the Department of African American Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He specializes in African economic, social and intellectual history, as well as development studies, gender studies, and diaspora studies.
MORE ABOUT IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA
After fourteen years of civil war, Liberia is a nation ready for change. On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was inaugurated President, following a hotly contested election which she won with the overwhelming support of women across Liberia. She is the first elected female head of state in Africa. Since taking office she has appointed other extraordinary women to leadership positions in all areas of government, including the Police Chief and the ministers of Justice, Commerce and Finance. Can the first female Liberian president, backed by other powerful women, bring sustainable democracy and peace to such a devastated country? Iron Ladies of Liberia gives behind-the-scenes access to President Sirleaf’s first year in government, providing a unique insight into the workings of a newly elected African cabinet. The film was directed by Siatta Scott Johnson and Daniel Junge.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE AT THE IHC
The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations.
This program is part of The Public Square’s “Civic Cinema” series. An exhilarating series of films, forums, and conversations, “Civic Cinema”uses the most exceptionally creative and engaging documentary films of our times to help communities talk about most pressing social issues. More information about The Public Square at the IHC is available at www.thepublicsquare.org.
The Illinois Humanities Council is an educational organization dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Through its programs and grants, the IHC promotes greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. Organized as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973, the IHC is now a private nonprofit (501 [c] 3) organization that is funded by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations; by the Illinois General Assembly; and by the NEH.
D A R E T O K N O W
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