Raise Your Voice 2020
Distributed by Good Docs
Produced by Maribeth Romslo Distributor
Directed by Maribeth Romslo
Streaming, 45 mins
K-12
Constitutional Law; Constitutional Rights; Freedom of Speech
Date Entered: 10/27/2020
Reviewed by LaRoi Lawton, Library & Learning Resources Department, Bronx Community College of the City University of New YorkOn February 14, 2018, an expelled student walked into Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and opened fire. When it was over 17 people were dead and 17 others were wounded in what became the deadliest shooting at a high school in United States history.
This film illustrates the battle taken up by six student journalists surrounding the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, and the historic Tinker v. Des Moines a historic Supreme Court ruling from 1969 that cemented students’ rights to free speech in public schools. The film follows these students who commemorate their friends lost in that deadly shootout as well as their visits to local state capitals to push for more adequate gun control and student journalist rights while attending high school.
“In a time where young voices are increasingly speaking out, marching, and raising their voices in school, online, and in the streets, this documentary is an exceptional resource for high school courses to explore these subjects and their massive relevance in the lives of students.”
A must-see film.
Awards:
Jury Award- Woods Hole Film Festival; 2nd Runner Up Best Documentary- Woods Hole Film Festival