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Sheriff Errol D. Toulon will take part in a forum prior to a screening of the film "Just Mercy" at Suffolk Theater on February 28. COURTESY THE SUFFOLK
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney will take part in a forum prior to a screening of the film "Just Mercy" at Suffolk Theater on February 28. COURTESY THE SUFFOLK
Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard will take part in a forum prior to a screening of the film "Just Mercy" at Suffolk Theater on February 28. COURTESY THE SUFFOLK
Mark MK McLaughlin, chairman of the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force, will act as moderator for a forum prior to a screening of the film "Just Mercy" at Suffolk Theater on February 28. COURTESY THE SUFFOLK
The Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force and Suffolk Theater are teaming up on Wednesday, February 28, to present “Black History On Screen” and a free screening of the 2019 film “Just Mercy,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins with a prescreening forum with local leaders at 7 p.m. followed by the film at 7:30 p.m. Leaders taking part include Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard and moderator Mark M.K. McLaughlin, chairman of the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force. In addition, artwork will be on display at the theater from the “MLK Portrait Project,” a collaboration between East End Arts and local high school students.
A powerful and thought-provoking true story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Jaime Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds — and the system — stacked against them.
Tickets to the screening are free, but must be reserved at thesuffolk.org. Suffolk Theater is at 118 East Main Street, Riverhead.
Staff Writer on Feb 19, 2024