Sostre at 100: A Legacy of Action

This two-night event will highlight Martin Sostre's lifetime commitment to revolutionary study and political education through a documentary film screening, panel discussions, and an exhibition.

Wednesday, March 22, hosted at the Harry Belafonte Library, will include a screening of the short documentary film, Frame-Up! The Imprisonment of Martin Sostre (1974) followed by a panel discussion with Sostre's comrades Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin, Antonio Rodriguez, Sylvia Rodriguez, Jerry Ross, and Sandy Shevack, moderated by William C. Anderson. To register for the first night of this two-night event, .

Thursday, March 23, hosted at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, will feature a keynote conversation between abolitionist educator Mariame Kaba and imprisoned (dis)organizer Stevie Wilson. Following, will be a discussion about the Imprisoned Black Radical Tradition with Masia Mugmuk, Jose Saldana, and Laura Whitehorn, moderated by Orisanmi Burton.

Martin Sostre (1923-2015) advocated for prisoners’ rights to religious freedom, political expression, and due process regarding Pr*son censorship and solitary confinement. He was also a teacher and mentor, as the owner of the radical Afro-Asian Bookshop in Buffalo, New York, and a community organizer with the Juvenile Education and Awareness Project in New Jersey.

This event is hosted by the New York Public Library's J*il & Pr*son Services team, in collaboration with the Harry Belafonte Library and the Martin Sostre Institute. Attendees can request free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning by emailing [email protected] at least two weeks prior to the event. Masks are highly encouraged and will be provided.

Major support for this event is provided by the Mellon Foundation, with additional support provided by the Center for Constitutional Rights.

PUBLIC NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

IN-PERSON | By registering for this event, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. By attending an in-person program at The New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold The New York Public Library, its Trustees, officers, agent and employees liable for any illness or injury. If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED Events are free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested. Registered guests are given priority check-in 15 to 30 minutes before start time. After the event starts all registered seats are released regardless of registration, so we recommend that you arrive early.

GUESTS Please note that holding seats in the Langston Hughes Auditorium is strictly prohibited and there is no food or drinks allowed anywhere in the Schomburg Center.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING Programs are photographed and recorded by the Schomburg Center. Attending this event indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any all purposes of the New York Public Library.

Host or Publisher The New York Public Library