April 26 in Piedmont at Ellen Driscoll Playhouse at 7 pm and April 29 in Oakland at The New Parkway at 3 pm
The Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Film Series will present the award-winning documentary film, "The Homestretch: on April 26 and 29. The film follows three homeless teens, Roque, Kasey, and Anthony, as they fight to stay in school, graduate and build a future. Roque was separated from his family due to immigration issues and was sometimes forced to find for himself, beginning in his sophomore year in high school. Anthony spent his childhood in foster homes and went out on his own at the age of 14. Kasey spent over a year bouncing around between friends, family members and sleeping on the street, ultimately dropping out of high school her senior year. We meet Kasey in the film as she just enters a new transitional home and is re-enrolled in school.
Although the film is set in Chicago, homeless youth here in the Bay Area face precisely the same challenges. In 2014, the Bay Area had over 20,000 homeless students. (KCBS Cover Story Series: Our Homeless School Kids, Dec. 15, 2014). Berkeley alone currently has over 300 homeless high school students. A panel discussion featuring local school administrators and teens with experience being homeless will take place following each screening.
This film connects us deeply with issues of poverty, race, juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights. "In the end, Homestretch is the story of a broken system, not broken people. After watching, one can't help but wonder if a small tweak in policy could make a world of difference for thousands of youth." Matt Pollock, Chicago Magazine.
An "authentic, no-frills portrayal of what it means to be young and homeless in America." Terrance F. Ross, The Atlantic.
The Appreciating Diversity Film Series is sponsored by the Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Committee, Piedmont Adult Education Program, the Piedmont City Council, and The Piedmont League of Women Voters.
DISCLAIMER: Our aim is to continuously provide our
progressive audience with an open and interactive medium to view
and share relevant,
beneficial and interesting "career, economic, lifestyle and
networking" listings, ads, content and resources.
While the above information may be accurate and viable, the role
of Minority Professional Network, Inc. (MPN) is
strictly as a communications medium, and we do not
accept any responsibility for
cancellation, changes, errors, omissions, inconveniences, or any other form
of liability for any content
displayed or disseminated via our web sites, or e-marketing or social media
promotional services.
If there are any
doubts, we
encourage you to conduct additional research or contact the listed host or responsible entity.
CLICK HERE to inform us about any ads, listings or content
which appear to be
inappropriate,
fraudulent or misleading, or inconsistent with our theme and focus.