Dr. Gabriella Lettini, SKSM students Kashka and MarySue Foster,
and Danny Glover discuss the Katrina ordeal
Danny Glover Brings Katrina Film, Conversation, to Starr King
It has been four
years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, but the spiritual, political
and economic implications continue to swirl. Starr King students joined in this
complex conversation last month as the documentary film, Trouble the Water - along with its
executive producer, actor Danny Glover - came to the school for a screening and panel
discussion.
Trouble the
Water, winner of the
Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Documentaries, is "about ordinary people becoming
extraordinary and heroic," Glover said at Starr King. "The Katrina tragedy
revealed conditions that pre-existed - inadequate transportation and health
care, the failure of government to respond. There are many communities today
where these same conditions exist."
The screening
and discussion event was organized by students and faculty of SKSM's Masters in
Religious Leadership for Social Change (MASC) program, in collaboration with the
Graduate Theological Union's CARE program.
MASC
student Tyson Casey, one of the organizers, said the event was meant as
"a continuation of the commitment we made at the GTU Poverty Truth
commission last year." He added that "the people affected by the
(Katrina) disaster embodied the spirit of religious leadership for social
change - compassionate engagement."
Another student
organizer, Kashka, said he'd been looking for a way to bring social activism and
spirituality together. He was especially moved by two New Orleans residents,
Rev. Dwight and Trudell Webster, who spoke on the panel with Glover. "They spoke from the heart; lifted people's
consciousness", Kashka said, adding, "People forget that the bulk of the work is
left to do."
"Events like
this serve as an important teaching tool for students", according to Rev. Dr.
Gabriella Lettini, Director of Studies in Public Ministry at Starr King. "We
wanted this event to embody our model of permeable walls in our communities,
where we connect the work we do at the school with important social justice
issues outside the school." She added, "It's important for students to move out
from the model of helping others, to a model of
collaboration."
Watch the video of the panel discussion featuring Danny Glover, Rev. Dwight Webster and Trudell Webster. (Video courtesy of Ryan Parker, GTU CARE program)
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The screening
and discussion event was organized by students and faculty of SKSM's Masters in
Religious Leadership for Social Change (MASC) program, in collaboration with the
Graduate Theological Union's CARE program. 