Film Screening and Discussion: Waking in Oak Creek

Free and open to the public Join us for a free screening and discussion of Waking in Oak Creek, a film about community responses in the aftermath of the 2012 Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Patrice O'Neill and film subjects Pardeep Kaleka and Arno Michaelis. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Diana Eck, director of the Pluralism Project.The screening and panel are free of charge. This is the final event in the Religion Refocused film series, sponsored by the Pluralism Project and made possible by support from Mass Humanities, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Event partners include Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, Everett Gurdwara Sahib, Gurdwara Sikh Sangat Boston, Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar Medford, Milford Gurdwara Sahib (NESSC), and Sikh Dharma of Massachusetts (SDMA).Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1086988617979876/About the film: “As the Sikh community in Oak Creek, Wisconsin prepares for Sunday prayers, a deadly hate attack shatters their lives, but not their resilience. After six worshipers are killed by a white supremacist, the local community finds inspiration in the Sikh tradition of forgiveness and faith. Lieutenant Murphy, shot 15 times in the attack, joins the mayor and police chief as they forge new bonds with the Sikh community. Young temple members, still grieving, emerge as leaders in the quest to end the violence. In the year following the tragedy, thousands gather for vigils and community events to honor the victims and seek connection. Together, a community rocked by hate is awakened and transformed by the Sikh spirit of relentless optimism.” This film is part of the Not in Our Town Initiative. (Documentary short, 34 min.) www.niot.org/cops/wakinginoakcreekAbout the panelists:Patrice O'Neill is the executive producer of Not in Our Town, a movement that uses films, new media, and organizing tools to stop hate, address bullying, and build safe, inclusive communities for all.Pardeep Kaleka is a former Milwaukee police officer and a current teacher in inner city Milwaukee. He is the eldest son of Satwant Singh Kaleka, the president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin who was gunned down during the August 5, 2012 attack. In the wake of this tragedy, Pardeep co-founded Serve2Unite, a Milwaukee-based organization that focuses on youth and community outreach.Arno Michaelis is the author of My Life After Hate, a book that chronicles his transformation from being a founding member of “the largest racist skinhead organization on earth” to his current work promoting diversity and peace through speaking and writing for global audiences. He is also active with Serve2Unite.Dr. Diana Eck is founder and director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University. She is a professor of religion in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a member of the faculty of divinity at Harvard.