(NEWARK, NJ) -- Can equality ever be achieved without economic justice? What strategies are available to mitigate the persistence of poverty in urban communities, which disproportionately affects Black citizens? These questions will be discussed when PSEG True Diversity Film Series Presents: Economic Justice: Poverty, Injustice, and Racism FREE on Zoom on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 7:00pm. 

Before we meet, we’ll screen the new documentary RUST, which focuses on Newark as a microcosm of the effects that deindustrialization, racism, and mass incarceration can have on the lives of the working poor, especially people of color.

This season, the films NJPAC will present through the PSEG True Diversity Film Series will focus on social and racial justice. To continue these presentations safely during the pandemic, this series now follows a book club model: We’ll watch the selected films in our homes, on our own time, then come together online to discuss them with panelists who can offer context.

Audience members are encouraged to view RUST on their own schedule; if you register for the event, you will receive a link allowing you to watch the film on May 22 and May 23. Then, join us for a virtual panel discussion on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 7:00pm.  Their panel will be moderated by Dr. Leslie Wilson, professor of History at Montclair State University, who’s specialized in the study of environmental racism, community development, and the history of African Americans. 

Panelists will include Barry Bluestone, professor Emeritus at Northeastern University, Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno, directors of Rust, Lawrence Hamm, chairman of the People’s Organization for Progress (pop) and Chigozie Onyema, Newark based attorney and organizer.

RUST is the third in Marylou & Jerome Bongiorno’s 3Rs Trilogy of documentary films on urban America, featuring their home city of Newark, which began with REVOLUTION ’67, about the Newark riots/rebellion of 1967, and continued with THE RULE, which tackled urban school reform. RUST is a production of Bongiorno Productions Inc., in association with KTWU.  RUST premieres on national PBS on May 18, 2021 (check local listings).

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located at One Center Street in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted 10 million visitors (including more than 1.8 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.