Wednesday, June 3, 2009,  6:30 - 8:30 pm
Queens University of Charlotte, Sykes Auditorium
1900 Selwyn Avenue: Directions

View Trailer

Join us as we screen the unbroadcasted PBS documentary about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military.

ACLU co-President Paul Funderburk will discuss the ACLU's role locally and nationally in the campaign for LGBT equality and Charlotte City Council candidate Owen Sutkowski will discuss local GLBT issues.

About the film:
When President Bill Clinton took office in 1993, his campaign pledge to lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military became a heated issue, with military leaders, Christian fundamentalists and conservative Congress members expressing vehement opposition. A sociologist at Northwestern University proposed the "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy as a compromise, creating a double standard: Gay service members could serve as long as they were not open about their sexual orientation and did not engage in homosexual behavior.

Originally intended to protect gays, by letting them serve in the military without being subject to questions about their sexual orientation, DADT instead mandated silence and celibacy.

ASK NOT exposes the tangled political battles that led to DADT and examines the societal shifts that have occurred since its 1993 passage. Since the law’s implementation, more than 12,000 personnel have been discharged including linguists and others whose skills are critical to military operations.

In ASK NOT, current and veteran gay soldiers reveal how the policy has affected them during their tours of duty as they struggle to maintain a double life, uncertain of whom they can trust.

The film also explores how gay veterans and youth organizers are turning to activism to challenge DADT.

Thurs. 5/21 6:30 - 8:30pm
Johnson C. Smith University - Biddle Hall, Large Auditorium. Directions.

A cluster of neighborhoods in the heart of Southern California is home to two of America's most infamous gangs: the Crips and the Bloods. Over the course of their 40-year feud, more than 15,000 people have been murdered in an ongoing cycle of violence that continues unabated.

Tues. 5/19 11:30am - 1:00pm
Levine Museum of the New South. Harris Hall. Directions.

Join GenerationEngage and the Women's Inter-Cultural Exchange as we ask - Can women find community in politics across racial and cultural lines? Is this truly an era of change or will things stay the same.

We'll be joined my Dr. McClain, professor of political science, public policy and African and African American studies at Duke University and a panel of local women involved in local and state politics as we discuss the serious conversations women need to have across racial and cultural lines in order for true change to occur.

This event is free and open to the public. Lunch is available for $15. Click here to RSVP.

Sat. 5/16 1:00 - 5:00pm
Levine Musuem of the New South. Directions.

How is immigration changing Charlotte and the Carolinas? How can we fix a broken immigration system. Come explore and express your voice.

Event Schedule:
1:00pm  - Registration and free tour of Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor ® exhibit.
1:45pm - Cultural Performances and Panel Discussion with immigration experts.
3:00pm - Artistic Expression (visual art, poetry and acting) and Immigration Reform workshops.
4:00pm - Presentations of art, performances and immigration reform petition; followed by reception (food and beverages provided).

We'll need around six volunteers for this event, please let us know if you'd like to help on the day of the event.

Thurs. 5/14 5:00 - 7:00pm
Queens University of Charlotte McColl School of Business Room 324. Directions.

For our Ambassador meeting this month, we'll join MeckEd for a community workshop to better understand the basics of school testing and accountability, the rewards and consequences associated with school and district-wide performance, and how testing and accountability inform CMS administrative and school board staffing, operational and policy decisions. Free and open to the public, refreshments will be served. Click here to let us know if you plan to attend.

"Something Green"
presented by GenerationEngage and Six Figure Entertainment

When: Saturday, April 25th / Doors open at 9 PM
Where: Chima / 139 S. Tryon Street

Part 1: 9 pm -10 pm Get informed and connected through our discussion with local elected officials and experts and on opportunities in the Green Economy. Talk with Patrick Graham, President/CEO of the Urban League of Central Carolinas; John Lassiter, City Council Member At-Large and RoxAnne Smith, Associate Director of Catawba Lands Conservancy.

Part 2: 10 pm -1 am Party and birthday celebrations for Q92.7's very own Ife' Moore, Rod Garvin of Generation Engage and Jason Bennett. Music by So So Def's DJ Avi-X. Arrive early and get a FREE Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulb that saves you an average of $45 over its lifetime, uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than your standard lightbulb. iTune gift cards also available while they last.

$10.00 admission if you arrive by 9:30 PM.

Visit www.sixfigureentertainment.com for info on tickets and VIP packages.

When: Tuesday, April 7, 2009  6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where: Urban League of Central Carolinas
             740 West Fifth Street (at the corner of Cedar Street)
             Charlotte, NC 28202

In partnership with the Urban League, and Democracy NC, GenerationEngage is cosponsoring a public forum on the justice system.

We will learn about the inner-workings of Mecklenburg County’s judicial system and discuss ways to make needed changes. Judicial panelists will discuss their experience running for and serving as a judge and talk about the greatest challenges facing the Mecklenburg criminal justice system. Panelists will also provide a hands-on perspective and discuss ideas on how the public can get more involved to advance needed changes.

This discussion is an excellent follow up to our conversation with Brian Foreman of Crossroads Charlotte and Henderson Hill of Ferguson, Stein, Chambers.

Invited Guests/Speakers:
Superior Court Judge Yvonne Mims-Evans, District Court Judge Hugh B. Lewis, District Court Judge Charlotte Brown-Williams, District Court Judge Kimberly Best, Robert Dawkins, Community Organizer, Democracy North Carolina

From April 1 -30 Leadership Charlotte alumni will engage in a variety of hands on service projects to assist 30 non-profit organizations. In addition, April is National Volunteer Month and Leadership Charlotte is tying into this opportunity by opening their service projects to the community at large.

Through “30 Days of Service,” Leadership Charlotte has issued a challenge to all Mecklenburg County residents to join them and volunteer as a part of the 3,500 volunteer hours during the month of April. There is a service activity available for each day of the month and if the goal is achieved, volunteers will have contributed over $ 250,000 thousand back to the community in services and projects in one month’s time.

GenerationEngage wants you to be a part of this celebration and the opportunity to turn dialogue and passion into action. Visit the 30 Days of Service website to learn more and to sign up for a volunteer activity today.

Who: GenerationEngage and Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.
What: I.O.U.S.A. Screening and Discussion
When:  Saturday, April 25 @ 4pm
Where: UNCC Charlotte Cone Center, Room 210
Free and open to the public.

Clueless and concerned about our country's economic future? This is a film you don't want to miss.

Panel Discussion with Rep. Mel Watt, Craig Dipken, Associate Professor of Economics, Tanya Dial Bethune, Mechanics and Farmers Bank and other invited guests will immediately follow the film.

RSVP REQUIRED FOR THIS SCREENING. Click HERE to RSVP today.

About I.O.U.S.A:
Wake up, America! We're on the brink of a financial meltdown. I.O.U.S.A. boldly examines the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences for the United States and its citizens. Burdened with an ever-expanding government and military, increased international competition, overextended entitlement programs, and debts to foreign countries that are becoming impossible to honor, America must mend its spendthrift ways or face an economic disaster of epic proportions.

Throughout history, the American government has found it nearly impossible to spend only what has been raised through taxes. Wielding candid interviews with both average American taxpayers and government officials, Sundance veteran Patrick Creadon (Wordplay) helps demystify the nation's financial practices and policies. The film follows former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker as he crisscrosses the country explaining America's unsustainable fiscal policies to its citizens.

Watch the IOUSA trailer here. Questions? Email us at Charlotte@generationengage.org.

When: Saturday, April 18 9:30 - 3pm
Where: Central Piedmont Community College
             Overcash Building - Room 304
             Directions? Click Here.

We may have to look hard, but with change comes opportunity. Charlotte Clean and Green: An Earth Day Celebration will show you many ways that today’s environmental focus provides for healthier living, creates economic opportunity and saves money.

During the day GenerationEngage will be hosting three screenings with brief discussions and a panel on local environmental issues, what's being done about them and how you can get involved. The event is free and open to the public, so drop in anytime or stay the whole day.

Film schedule and links to film trailers:

Who: GenGage, The Public Library and Queens University of Charlotte
When: Monday, March 23. 2009 @ 6:30pm
Where: Queens University
            Sykes Auditorium
            1900 Sewlyn Avenue.
            Directions? Click Here 

Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird is a worldwide classic. British librarians have ranked the novel one "every adult should read before they die," (ahead of the Bible) and its themes have been discussed in classrooms and coffeeshops in almost every country. But did you know that Scout's tale is loosely based on a true story from Lee's childhood in 1936?

Sixty-three years later, residents of Tulia, Texas experienced their own version of the TKAM story. Forty-six people were arrested in a drug sting, 40 of them African-American - close to 15% of the town's black population.

With little to no evidence, many plead guilty to avoid the long sentences received by their peers convicted solely on the testimony of the undercover cop that charged them. All praised the town's officials for winning the war on drugs -  until a white rural farmer began to question the case. (View the trailer for Tulia, TX here. )

Ten years later, its 2009. Could this happen again? Could this happen in our own community? Is justice truly blind?

Join Generation Engage, Queens University of Charlotte, and The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County as we watch "Tulia, Texas" together and wrap up The Big Read in a thought provoking and action-oriented style. 

This event is free and open to the public, though RSVPs are encouraged. Click here to let us know if you plan to attend. 

On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., tens of millions of people in more than 400 cities and 74 countries around the world will come together  to make a bold statement about their concern about climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour.

In preparation for Charlotte Clean and Green this April, GenerationEngage encourages our members, civic and government leaders to participate in Earth Hour, symbolizing our stand as a community improving the condition of our global environment starting with small changes in our own homes.

Learn more about Earth Hour 2009 here. View the Earth Hour 2009 video here.

Turn out. Take action: Tell us if you participated in Earth Hour 2009 and if you are interested in future GenerationEngage Charlotte Green Initiatives by clicking here.

WHEN: Saturday, April 4, 2009 @ 10:00am

WHERE:  University City Library
                 301 E Wt Harris Blvd
                 Charlotte, NC 28262
                 Directions

Join GenerationEngage and Democracy North Carolina for an informal discussion with state Sen. Malcolm Graham on the Democracy NC Legislative Agenda. Get an inside look into how community coalitions develop policy initiatives through a direct relationship with their local and state representatives.

Democracy North Carolina is a nonpartisan organization working statewide to fulfill the promise of "one person, one vote," the bedrock principle of equal rights and self-determination. GenerationEngage Charlotte is a member of the Democracy North Carolina coalition and supports its youth voter engagement policy initiative. Learn more here.

View Sen. Malcolm Graham's legislative profile, including introduced bills and voting record here. 

WHEN: Saturday, March 14 2009 @ 10:00am

WHERE:  University City Library
                 301 E Wt Harris Blvd
                 Charlotte, NC 28262
                 Directions

Join GenerationEngage and Democracy North Carolina for an informal discussion with Rep. Nick Mackey on the Democracy NC Legislative Agenda. Get an inside look into how community coalitions develop policy initiatives through a direct relationship with their local and state representatives.

Democracy North Carolina is a nonpartisan organization working statewide to fulfill the promise of "one person, one vote," the bedrock principle of equal rights and self-determination. GenerationEngage Charlotte is a member of the Democracy North Carolina coalition and supports its youth voter engagement policy initiative. Learn more here.

View Rep. Nick Mackey's legislative profile, including introduced bills and voting record here. 

Who will decide how funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Economic Stimulus Plan) are distributed in Charlotte? What is Vision 2015 and where do young people fit into the goals of Mecklenburg County?

Join Generation Engage as we learn about our Board of County Commissioners, the goals and issues facing our county and what WE can do to help from Charlotte Observer county reporter, April Bethea and from our Commissioners themselves.

Commissioners confirmed to join the discussion:

Karen Bentley
Harold Cogdell
Neil Cooksey
George Dunlap
Vilma Leake
Jennifer Roberts


When: Thursday, February 26 @ 6:30pm
Where: Estelle's Cafe and Coffeehouse
             2135 Southend Drive
             Charlotte, NC 28203
             Click here to RSVP today.
             Cilck here for directions.


Learn about Mecklenburg County's Vision 2015.

Latest news involving your County Commissioners: "Stimulus could be hard to see in Charlotte"

Light refreshments will be provided.  We'll see you at Estelle's!

When: Monday, Feburary 9, 2008 @ 7pm
Where: Neighborhood Theater in Noda
No RSVP Required. Click Here for Directions.

Based on the novel by Sam Greenlee, a man named Dan Freeman is hired by the CIA. Assigned the most menial, mind-numbing tasks, Freeman soon realizes he’s a “political tool” to be wielded with the utmost cynicism by a cowardly Senator whose only concern is appealing to certain voters.

Freeman eventually leaves the CIA, returning to his native Chicago to work as a social worker with local gangs by day. But by night, he has a different agenda. Freeman begins utilizing the skills he picked up as a CIA “spook” to recruit and train gang members in “underground,” guerrilla warfare.

Ivan Dixon, the film's director, passed away on March 16th, 2008. His daughter Noda Dixon, will introduce the film and will take part in a Q&A/Discussion with Rushmore Drive Editorial Director and film scholar, Nsenga Burton, and GodCity artists whose work is inspired by the film.

 A wonderful opportunity to see a legendary film. We'll see you there.

The year - 1968. The place - Chicago. The scene, thousands of young people preparing for a peaceful protest of the Vietnam War.  Surrounding the park, hundreds of police armed with guns and gas grenades, ready to protect  elected officials attending the 1968 Democratic National Convention.  The result - chaos, and a conspiracy trial that has often been left out of our history books.

Join GenerationEngage and the Office for Multicultural Affairs at Queens University as we screen "Chicago 10,"  a mixed-media documentary telling the story of eight young adults (and their two lawyers) tried for starting one of the largest dissension movements of the 60s.

Following the film we will have an open discussion on democracy and how young people can create change.. View clips here.

WHEN:    Thursday, February 5 @ 6:30pm

WHERE: Queens University - West Hall Coffeehouse.
Please park in the Myers Park Traditional School parking lot at 2132 Radcliffe Ave, signs and students will be outside to direct you. Need Directions? Click Here. 

From Morgan Freeman to Chris Rock, a number of African-Americans have been elected to the oval office on the big screen. But before Deep Impact or Head of State, James Earl Jones starred as the Chief Executive of the United States in 1972's The Man.

Join GenerationEngage and Reel Soul Films for a FREE screening of The Man staring James Earl Jones as the first African-American President. Following the screening we will have an open discussion on the film and consider how the media's portrayal of black Presidents beginning in 1972 may have influenced America's election of Barack Obama as President in 2008.
 

GenerationEngage Charlotte invites you to our:

Election Night Watch Party!

Come celebrate the ending of America's most historic (and longest) campaign season ever with Charlotte's local officials, celebrities and nonpartisan organizations as we watch states turn red or blue and find out who will become the next President of the United States.

When: Tuesday, November 4

Where: ALIVE in NoDa. 
              2902 N. Davidson Street  

No Admission - that means FREE.  21 and over, drink specials and free food while they last.  Music by KITCH and Friends.

Get there early. Doors open at 6pm.

We'll see you there!

Thank you to everyone who attended the GenerationEngage Convention Party at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte's NoDa neighborhood. To view pictures and press for the event visit GenerationEngage.org.

James Ajith, our guest speaker for the Darfur Now film discussion, fled Darfur, Sudan when he was 8-years-old to escape the growing violence and that has lead to the death of 400,000 people and the displacement of 2.5 million from their homes. James shared his triumphant story of survival and success, which includes his journey from Sudan to North Carolina. Visit SaveDarfur.org to learn more about the Darfur crisis and what you can do to help.

We had an informative and interactive forum with our At-Large County Commissioner Candidates: Susan Walker, Hal Jordan, Dan Ramirez, Dan Murrey, Harold Cogdell and Henk Jonker, Campaign Manager for Jennifer Roberts.

If you are eligible to vote but are not registered, you can do so at the North Carolina Board of Elections website and find out what offices are up for election on November 4th along with a list of candidates.

We finished off the party with our "Life is Political" concert featuring some of Charlotte's most talented artists: Kali Ferguson, Nige Hood, GoGoPilot and Rudy Currence.

Special thanks to our GenerationEngage Ambassadors and Volunteers who helped make our Convention Party a success: Ayofemi Hunter-Kirby, Catherine Cervantes, Austin Tate, Terry Connarn, Sheryl Brodie, Candace Richardson and Fametta Collins.

Click here to view press coverage of the Convention Party.