The city of East Lansing and Michigan State University announce the 2015 One Book, One Community program, featuring the works of two extraordinary champions of human rights.
This year’s selections embody the 2015 theme: “A Community Conversation on Justice, Human Rights and Compassion.”
The 2015 selections include “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” a New York Times bestselling book by attorney and author Bryan Stevenson; and “The House I Live In,” a documentary film by Eugene Jarecki that won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize in 2012.
The selections have been instrumental in raising the nation’s consciousness of how institutionalized bias and punitive legislation have denied the rights of many Americans and tarnished human rights in the United States.
“MSU students, community members and faculty are encouraged to engage in thoughtful conversations around the themes explored in both the book and film,” said MSU Provost June Youatt. “These issues are important and timely, as public awareness of bias and injustice across the country has recently increased.”
Stevenson will kick off the month-long OBOC program with a talk at 7 p.m. Aug. 30 at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center. He will discuss his experiences and sign books. Stevenson will also address MSU’s incoming class at the Academic Welcome at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 in the Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Both events are free to the community.
On Sept. 16, filmmaker Eugene Jarecki will speak about his documentary at 7 p.m. at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. OBOC and the World View Lecture Series jointly sponsor this program. The event is ticketed.
Visit the new OBOC website for details on the selections and events.