Professor Hibbert-Jones will be screening her academy award nominated short film “Last Day of Freedom.” When Bill Babbitt realizes his brother Manny has committed a crime he agonizes over his decision- should he call the police? Last Day of Freedom is a richly animated personal narrative that tells the story of Bill’s decision to stand by his brother, a Veteran returning from war, as he faces criminal charges, racism, and ultimately the death penalty. This film is a portrait of a man at the nexus of the most pressing social issues of our day – veterans’ care, mental health access and criminal justice. She will discuss Last Day of Freedom as well as her upcoming animated documentary Run With It on Troy Davis’ story. A black man accused of killing a white police officer in Savannah Georgia, USA.

Dee Hibbert-Jones is an Academy Award® nominated, Emmy® award winning documentary filmmaker; a Guggenheim Fellow and MacDowell Fellow. Working in collaboration with Nomi Talisman, she produces animated documentary films that explore the crisis in the criminal justice system and the US racial divide, challenging entrenched attitudes, immersing viewers in a complex world of feelings and experiences, engendering empathy and critical reflection. In 2015 they received the Filmmaker Award from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke, created to honor and support documentary artists whose works are potential catalysts for education and change. Hibbert-Jones was recently awarded a United States Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust Award in recognition for her “outstanding national commitment to civil rights, and social justice” and a Gideon award for “support to indigent minorities” for her film work.She a Professor of Art, Film, and Digital Art New Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The Center for Cultural Studies hosts a weekly Wednesday colloquium featuring work by faculty and visitors. The sessions consist of a 40-45 minute presentation followed by discussion. We gather at noon, with presentations beginning at 12:15 PM. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunches; the Center provides coffee, tea, and cookies.

All Center for Cultural Studies events are free and open to the public. Staff assistance is provided by the Humanities Institute