All Events
Cup of Culture
The Homestretch
MCC Theater
'An amazing and important film with the potential to change the way we think about the problem of youth homelessness.' – Alex Kotlowitz
The Homestretch follows three homeless teens as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. Each of these smart, ambitious teenagers – Roque, Kasey, and Anthony – working to complete their education while facing the trauma of being alone and abandoned, will surprise, inspire, and challenge audiences to rethink stereotypes of homelessness. While told through a personal perspective, their stories connect with larger issues of poverty, race, juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights. (90 min, English, 2014)
Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMoCevdGQPs
Standing on the Place Where Langston’s Ashes Reside: An Evening with Poet Laureate Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
MCC Lounge
Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, current Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara, will read from her latest manuscript, Black Street II : The Outsider Poems. Her presentation will include a reflection on the work of Langston Hughes and his influence in her life. Rolle's poetry books include Black Street, and Common Ancestry and she has written six plays—most spawned from the Black Experience. Widely known as a cultural activist, Rolle hosts a monthly poetry event, The Poetry Zone, and for the past 13 years has organized an annual tribute to Langston Hughes. A reception with live jazz music will follow.
An Evening of Afro-Brazilian Samba & Funk: SambaDá
MCC Theater
Are you ready for Carnival? Based in the rich musical traditions of Brazil, SambaDá also draws from percussion-based styles of South and Central America, and blends it with the good old funk and reggae back beat so familiar to North American audiences. Brazilian natives Papiba Godinho and Dandha da Hora possess a profound knowledge of Brazilian music, and musically unite the Americas.
Listen to SambaDá music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnI7XeK1f9w
Tickets: $5 UCSB Students and Children Under 12 / $15 general. Purchase tickets at A.S. Ticket Office or online here.
Religious Literacy Series
Second Class Feminists?: The Changing Role of Women in Faith Communities
MCC Theater
Feminism and religion...an oxymoron? These women don't think so. While conversations about feminism are all the rage in pop culture, more and more women and men today are bringing their feminist ideologies into their faith communities to work for positive social change. This panel will explore why feminism is important in both mainstream and religious communities and will discuss why the feminist movement remains critical in the 21st century.
Panelists include contributors to the Faithfully Feminist book: Dr. Gina Messina-Dysert (Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Ursuline College), Nia Malika Dixon (author, filmmaker, and founder of Audaz Entertainment, an independent production company), and Rabbi Tamara Cohen (Director of Innovation at Moving Traditions). A reception with panelists will follow in the lounge.
