Jeff Adachi’s ‘America Needs a Racial Facial’ screens Saturday, June 18, as San Francisco Black Film Festival provides thought provoking films and panels

by Jackie Wright

The San Francisco Black Film Festival joins with sponsor The Unity Group of Congregation Emanu-El on Saturday, June 18, 2 p.m., to screen Jeff Adachi’s film, “America Needs a Racial Facial,” at Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St. in San Francisco. The film, a short documentary, will be followed by a panel discussion on “Implicit Bias and Racial Profiling.”

Tickets are free with reservations required. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/racial-facial-tickets-25828950085, and visit www.sfbff.org for updates. Click on Special Events.

SFBV-40th-Willie-Ratcliff-Jeff-Adachi-022116-SF-Main-Library-by-Harrison-Chastang-300x257, Jeff Adachi’s ‘America Needs a Racial Facial’ screens Saturday, June 18, as San Francisco Black Film Festival provides thought provoking films and panels, Culture Currents
At the Bay View’s 40th anniversary celebration at the San Francisco Main Library on Feb. 21, 2016, San Francisco’s elected – and beloved – Public Defender Jeff Adachi gave the paper an award. Bay View publisher Dr. Willie Ratcliff stands behind him. Jeff, respected as one of the best, if not THE best public defender in the country, is also a visionary – and now a filmmaker! – Photo: Harrison Chastang

The Unity Group is an evolving group of Black and Jewish community leaders answering the call of Rabbi Beth Singer and Rabbi Jonathan Singer of Congregation Emanu-El, Malcolm Gissen and Ronald Thompson to come together and explore ways to address racism in the City of San Francisco.

“American Needs a Racial Facial” is a short, eight-minute film about race in America. It provides a blur of fascinating images and video – historical and contemporary – depicting both the division and blending that has characterized the history and treatment of people of color in this country.

Beginning with this country’s history of slavery and discrimination against African Americans, eradication and colonization of Native Americans, exclusion of Asian Americans and exploitation of Mexican and Latin Americans, “Racial Facial” depicts a visual panorama which encompasses the history of oppression and discrimination that has led to the continuation of tension, unrest and anger among all Americans.

The film will also screen on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. without a panel discussion at the African American Arts and Culture Complex. Visit www.sfbff.org for details.

Screening and panel

“America Needs a Racial Facial,” an eight-minute short film, screens, followed by a four-minute video by International Media TV’s Johnnie Burrell of Acting Police Chief Toney Chaplin sharing a racial profiling incident. The final film, another four-minute short, is on the racial justice work of “Advocates for Justice” in Modesto.

The members of the “Implicit Bias and Racial Profiling” panel are:

  • Jeff Adachi, filmmaker, San Francisco Public Defender
  • Jacq Wilson, San Francisco attorney and founder of Advocates for Justice
  • Pamela Price, Oakland-based civil rights attorney, who made legal history in Morgan v. Amtrak by winning the appeal in the 9th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court

Jackie Wright is the president of Wright Enterprises, a full service public relations firm serving the corporate, non-profit and government sectors. A seasoned media and public relations professional, Wright has over 20 years of media experience, including more than a decade of award-winning journalism experience in radio, television and print communications, and holds degrees in both journalism and drama from the University of Georgia. She can be reached at jackiewright@wrightnow.biz or twitter.com/wrightenternow.