Film Screening & Community Discussion
Wednesday, February 18
Part of Black History Month at the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center
Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865, but with one critical exception: the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery except as punishment for a crime. Almost immediately after its passage, Black Americans were arrested en masse for minor or fabricated offenses, placed into prisons, and forced into labor. In many cases, slavery simply changed form.
13th begins with that overlooked reality and traces how it evolved into the modern system of mass incarceration. The film clearly connects the dots between post-Civil War arrest practices, prison labor, Jim Crow laws, and today’s criminal justice system, revealing how policies and power structures were built over time, not by accident.
Rather than asking viewers to accept a conclusion, 13th lays out historical facts, legal language, and lived experience, allowing audiences to see how the system developed and why its effects are still felt today.
As part of Black History Month, this screening offers a chance to look more closely at a chapter of American history that is often misunderstood or oversimplified. A moderated post-film discussion will follow, creating space for reflection, questions, and thoughtful conversation.
GET TICKETS
The Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center located at 235 Forest Avenue in Check out our calendar at www.LBCulturalArtsCenter.org LBCAC has installed a Patriot Air Purification System Grant funding was made possible by the lodging establishments and the City of Laguna Beach.
