I wanted to let you all know about an event that we'll be having here at Fordham Lincoln Center this Monday March 27th at 7pm.
We are going to be screening a movie called the Camden 28, which recounts the 1971 raid of a Camden draft board by activists protesting the war in Vietnam. In the group were one Lutheran minister and four Catholic priests, including Rev. Ned Murphy, Fordham University Jesuit, founder of the P.O.T.S Soup Kitchen in the Bronx, and one of the area’s leading proponents of social justice. All but one of the remaining 23 were Catholic lay people. All were part of a nonviolent anti-war movement the government and the media referred to as the “Catholic Left,” which had claimed responsibility for over 30 draft board raids and the destruction of close to a million Selective Service documents and had become one of the most inventive forces of the anti-war movement. The group hoped to call attention to war’s damaging effect on urban America.
The documentary tells of covert preparations, government intrigue, the raid itself and the ensuing legal battle, which Supreme Court Justice William Brennan called “one of the great trials of the twentieth century.” A quarter-century later, key participants openly discuss their motives, their fears and the tremendous personal costs of their actions. It is a story of friendship and betrayal played out against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent periods in recent American history.
Anthony Giacchino, the film's producer and director is going to be in attendance as is Fr. Ned and we hope to have a question and answer session following the film. It should be a really neat evening and I'd love for all of you to be there.
The event will be taking place in the New Student Lounge. If you're interested, RSVP at x7464 or giftos@fordham.edu.
Much Peace,
Jon
