Home Screening Guide
A toolkit to enjoy a home screening, which includes conversation and exploration with family and friends
Coming to PBS February 2016 www.mayortombradley.com
About the Film
Thirty-five years before President Barack Obama, there was Mayor Tom Bradley. Questions of racial and ethnic barriers to elected office were put to the test in 1973 when Los Angeles elected the nation’s first black mayor of a major city whose population was overwhelmingly white.
Tom Bradley’s extraordinary multi-racial coalition redefined Los Angeles, transformed the national dialogue on race, and encouraged elections of minority candidates nationwide, most notably our nation’s first black president. And even though he confronted the persistence of police abuse in minority communities throughout his years in public service, Bradley was victorious in the end of his tenure as mayor to enact police reform in the LAPD.
Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race will broadcast on PBS stations nationwide beginning February 1, 2016 as part of public television’s celebration of Black History Month.
The film will be available to stream for free at www.pbs.org and on PBS’s mobile apps and Roku channel during the month of February 2016.
L.A. City Councilman Tom Bradley campaigning for Los Angeles mayor in 1973 (Photo credit to the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center, CSUN)
Coming to PBS February 2016 2 www.mayortombradley.com How to Host a Screening
It is easy to host a small screening event in your home or at a local community space. This acclaimed documentary is a superb gateway for discussing important community issues.
Police Chief Daryl Gates and Mayor Tom Bradley, July 14, 1981 (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library)
All you need: • An invitation list (10-40 people) • A space to gather (such as your living room) • The film (on DVD or via streaming on pbs.org or Roku) • A media player and a screen or monitor to show the film • A few printouts to provide further information and some basic materials for an activity • Refreshments!
A few general tips: • Be sure to have ample seating with a view of the screen • Materials and refreshments within easy reach • Provide relevant logistical information to guests such as directions and parking locations • Keep an RSVP list
Coming to PBS February 2016 3 www.mayortombradley.com The Basics for a Home Screening
This worksheet offers a step-by-step guide to producing an at-home or small scale screening event.
STEP 1: PLAN AND SECURE [ ] Select a timeframe and date for your event (Broadcasts on PBS stations during Feb. 2016 (check local listings); Online via PBS.org or Roku Feb 1- Feb 29, 2016) [ ] Review the Discussion Guide so you are familiar with the content
STEP 2: WHO TO INVITE? [ ] Begin compiling your invitation list. Use your own address book, and ask some friends or colleagues for their recommendations. Be sure to ask permission to send an e-blast at work or to clubs/organizations you belong to. [ ] Make sure your invitation list is a reasonable size given how many people you can seat. For an at-home event, not everyone who RSVPs will be able to attend.
STEP 3: REACH OUT! (TWO OR THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO EVENT) [ ] Draft and send an e-mail invitation to your list. [ ] Create a Facebook invitation and invite your friends via social media (tag @TomBradleyDoc in all your posts to social media). [ ] Create and maintain an RSVP list to track who is attending.
STEP 4: CREATE PROGRAM [ ] Create an agenda for your screening (see examples on next page) [ ] If you are using streaming video, you may want to check your Internet connection and test the stream through your TV before the event.
STEP 5: FOLLOW-UP [ ] Three or four days prior to the event, send a reminder to everyone you invited, and ask them to RSVP. For guests that have already RSVP’d reconfirm their attendance.
STEP 6: DAY OF SCREENING [ ] Arrange your furniture so seating faces the screen, and make sure to test your equipment to ensure the film plays correctly. [ ] Provide refreshments for your guests before and/or after the presentation. [ ] Have a camera ready to take some snapshots of your event and share on social media. (@TomBradleyDoc, #MayorTomBradley)
Coming to PBS February 2016 4 www.mayortombradley.com Sample Agenda
6:00 pm:……….Guests begin arriving Snacks & refreshments are available
6:30.……………Gather your guests around the screen and explain why you wanted to host the event
6:40.……………Watch Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race (about 60 minutes)
7:45.……………Use the Discussion Questions to lead your guests through a conversation on the film themes
8:45.……………Allow time for your guests to unwind and chat informally about the film
9:30...... ……….Goodnight!
Coming to PBS February 2016 5 www.mayortombradley.com Questions for Thought and Discussion
Consider using these questions as topics for your social media posts, as guideposts for screening and discussion of the film, or as food for thought as you further explore the legacy of Mayor Tom Bradley.
1. Why do you think Los Angeles was able to elect an African American mayor before so many other large cities (even ones with larger African American populations)?
2. What does it mean to have a coalition and how do you think it helped Tom Bradley bring about change in Los Angeles and in politics in America?
3. After watching the film, what do you think is most important about Mayor Tom Bradley’s legacy?
4. Do you think the political antics of Sam Yorty would be accepted today? Why or why not? Do you see any parallels between Sam Yorty’s tactics and those being used by candidates today?
5. Tom Bradley was mayor of Los Angeles for 20 years. His tenure began shortly after the Watts rebellion of 1965, and ended shortly after the 1992 civil unrest, sparked by the beating of motorist Rodney King and the subsequent verdict acquitting the LAPD officers. What lessons, if any, can we learn from this important period in the history of race relations in Los Angeles?
6. Tom Bradley worked hard to confront police brutality and misconduct in Los Angeles, which remained intractable for years, and culminated in disturbing police failures during the civil unrest in 1992. Given the examples from Los Angeles, how have the basic problems and challenges changed with respect to policing and race, and how have they remained the same?
7. On balance, do you think it would be easier or more difficult for an African American man or woman to be elected mayor of a major city today than it was for Tom Bradley in 1973? Why? Do you think Tom Bradley could win if he ran today?
8. How do you think that leaders like Tom Bradley or Barack Obama, who overcame important barriers including bridging a broad racial divide, contributed to our overall understanding of race in America?
Coming to PBS February 2016 6 www.mayortombradley.com