Please join feminist historian Estelle Freedman and award-winning filmmaker Christie Herring for a screening of their film Singing for Justice (2024). The directors will be present for a Q&A following the screening moderated by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and a sing-along.
Singing for Justice is a one-hour film that explores the life of Faith Petric (1915-2013), the San Francisco-based political radical, musical organizer, and charismatic performer who united folk music and progressive causes from the 1930s through the early 2000s. Over her long and purposeful life, Petric inspired all to take responsibility for social change, women and elders to defy stereotypes, and everyone she met to sing along. Narrated largely by Petric, the film weaves her personal, musical, and political journeys into the history of social movements and song in modern America. The directors will discuss the historical contexts and filmmaking process and respond to questions, and Freedman will lead a closing audience singalong of some featured songs from the film.
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Presented by The New School's Gender and Sexualities Studies Institute and the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. Co-sponsored by Historical Studies at The New School for Social Research.
The Kellen Auditorium is wheelchair accessible. There is a designated wheelchair area at the back of the auditorium, otherwise all fixed seating. There are all-gender restrooms on all floors of the Parsons School of Design building (accessible by wheelchair), except the first floor, where the Kellen Auditorium is located.
Estelle Freedman, the Robinson Professor in U.S. History, Emerit, at Stanford University, has published ten books on the histories of women, feminism, and sexuality, including No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women and Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America.
Christie Herring is a Brooklyn-based documentary filmmaker who has spent over 25 years telling stories of social and political justice. Singing for Justice aired on PBS in March 2025 and is distributed by GoodDocs.
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, PhD, is Professor of History at Lang/NSSR at The New School.
Committed to amplifying diverse voices, The New School offers more than a thousand public programs and events each year, providing fresh perspectives and unique learning opportunities. These lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and performances feature prominent and emerging artists, activists, and thought leaders. Be sure to visit our Events Calendar to see the full roster.
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