Free Screening of ‘The Apology’ at CV Center for the Arts
Photo credit: Joselito Barcena
Producer Aisha Knowles Aisha Knowles will moderate the panel discussion with some of the Russell City surviving residents which follows the screening.
“Some call it the Bay Area’s lost city, Russell City. What happened to the town remains an ugly chapter in Alameda County history. Education and reparations are something residents are still fighting for today.” (NBC Bay Area’s Race in America: the Conversation)
The public is invited to a free screening of The Apology, a feature-length documentary by Emmy nominated film director Mimi Chakarova and produced by community leader Aisha Knowles at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts on Tuesday, September 17 at 6:30pm. The Apology, the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Better Angels Lavine Fellowship, will continue to screen at film festivals for the next two years. The event is co-sponsored by the Castro Valley Arts Foundation and the Castro Valley Unified School District.
The Apology investigates an incident in the 1960s in which Alameda County and the City of Hayward dismantled the entire community of Russell City, pushing 1,400 residents out of their homes and off their land – all to claim the 200 acres for an industrial park. Sixty years later, the film tells the stories of more than twenty residents and their descendants. Using archival footage, animated photos and illustrations, the film explores the historical significance of an apology. Several weeks after the very first community screening of The Apology, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors formally apologized for its role in the seizure and destruction of Russell City.
Join us as we examine our shared history and learn what has happened since. CVUSD Superintendent Parvin Amadi will deliver opening remarks and Aisha Knowles will moderate the panel discussion with some of the Russell City surviving residents which follows the screening. 19501 Redwood Road, Castro Valley. Free Parking. Handicap accommodations.