“This particular story is about community, it’s about growth, it’s about acknowledgement, but most important, it’s about the resiliency of children,” said Keith Simmons.

Simmons is the chief of staff for the Bibb County School District. He says the district got onboard with the screening because of the conversation it could start.

“I think there’s value in the conversation. I think there are lessons that could be learned by some of those who haven’t experienced the plight of the students or the staff particularly,” he said.

Sonya Green, the engagement coordinator at Mercer’s Center for Collaborative Journalism, says the goal of the screening is to watch the ways that this school turned things around and spark a conversation about what our community can do.

“As we’re talking about solutions to youth violence and ways that we can think of how to improve our schools, our communities, society…this particular documentary can play in role in that in terms of what the approach has been there,” said Green.

Because the more that we can see ourselves in others; the easier we may be able to learn from one enough and spark a change.

“I think in some ways it enables us to be more empathetic about experiences that we may think are singular to our own here in Macon-Bibb that are really familiar and happening across the country,” said Simmons.

If you want to come to the Thursday evening screening and roundtable discussion to follow, there is no cost.

For more information, click here.