Online
Let's Talk Race: Watch & Listen Group
Tuesday, May 4, 2021 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The Let's Talk Race: Watch & Listen Group examines race through the mediums of movies, podcasts and more.
Join us in May for our virtual discussion of the 2014 documentary To Be Takei. Our bonus read will be George Takei's graphic novel memoir, They Called Us Enemy.
"Oh my! This award winning documentary features Star Trek legend, marriage equality advocate, and spokesperson for racial justice; superstar George Takei. Best known for his groundbreaking role of Hikaru Sulu on a certain epic starship and its multi-ethnic crew, Takei is one of the most visible Asian-American actors of all time, inspiring generations of fans.
Following his Star Trek run, George's baritone voice later earned him work in animated series like The Simpsons, Futurama, and The Super Hero Squad Show. These days, from signings at New York City's Midtown Comics to ComiCon!, George's husband, business manager, and co-pilot, Brad, excels at keeping George (and his hordes of fans) organized. But Takei's true legacy may be his off-screen advocacy.
When Takei was just a boy, his family was uprooted from their home in Los Angeles and forced into internment camps as part of the mid-20th century U.S. government efforts to subjugate Japanese American citizens based solely on their ethnic heritage. A true elder statesman with a wry sense of humor, his awesome Facebook presence initiated to help promote his Broadway-bound musical Allegiance, inspired by his life in the internment campsprovides a daily dose of wisdom and wit.
At a time when alarming rhetoric about Islamic and Latino Americans dominates the landscape, there is perhaps no better spokesperson for the historical legacy of fear and xenophobia in the U.S. than George Takei. George, and husband Brad, have also been unflappable spokespeople for LGBTQ rights. The film features unparalleled behind-the-scenes intimacy with the dynamic duo George and Brad, as well as interviews with famous friends from William Shatner to Howard Stern. The ultimate result is the ultimate examination of the vastness of what it means To Be Takei."
We will also be discussing....
BONUS READ
"A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon -- and America itself -- in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. George Takei has captured hearts and minds worldwide with his captivating stage presence and outspoken commitment to equal rights.
But long before he braved new frontiers in Star Trek, he woke up as a four-year-old boy to find his own birth country at war with his father's -- and their entire family forced from their home into an uncertain future. In 1942, at the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, every person of Japanese descent on the west coast was rounded up and shipped to one of ten 'relocation centers', hundreds or thousands of miles from home, where they would be held for years under armed guard.
They Called Us Enemy is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future. What is American? Who gets to decide? When the world is against you, what can one person do?"--from the publisher
This event will be held virtually via Zoom. Please register below. The event link will be sent to the email address associated with your library card one day prior to the event.
If you do not have a Richland Library card but want to attend, click here to get a card or register as a guest. If you do not have access to e-mail, call 803.799.9084 (9 am-4 pm | Monday-Friday) to register by phone.
Questions? E-mail hmccue@richlandlibrary.com.