MEADVILLE, Pa. – Oct. 15, 2007 – Celeste Taylor, Pennsylvania state coordinator of African American outreach for People For the American Way, will visit Allegheny College to participate in a showing of the documentary “American Blackout” on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. in Henderson Auditorium in Quigley Hall.
Taylor has worked to advance human and civil rights for more than 25 years. Prior to coordinating the election protection effort for Allegheny County in 2004 and joining the PFAW staff in 2006, Taylor worked with Project Vote, ACORN, Good Schools Pennsylvania, the NAACP National Voter Fund and Amnesty International.
Special recognition for her work includes being named to the Onyx Woman Magazine Amazing 10 list and being honored with the Allegheny County ACORN Community Leadership Award, League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh Good Government Award and the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh Racial Justice Award. As a volunteer Taylor is the vice-chair of the Black Political Empowerment Project in Pittsburgh, American Friends Service Committee Mid-Atlantic Region Board and the SweatFree Communities National Board.
“American Blackout” chronicles recurring patterns of voter disenfranchisement from Florida 2000 to Ohio 2004 while following the story of Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. The film features Congressional members John Conyers, John Lewis, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones and Bernie Sanders, as well as journalists Greg Palast and Bob Fitrakis.
Taylor will begin the evening by providing a brief introduction to the film and, following its showing, will facilitate an open discussion of the events and issues presented in the film.
“Ms. Taylor brings a fresh angle and a regional perspective to the national issues that are raised in ‘American Blackout,’” says Cherjanét D. Lenzy, director of diversity affairs at Allegheny College. Lenzy anticipates that Taylor’s firsthand knowledge of the issues will help viewers recognize the immediate and local nature of the challenges at hand.
This event is sponsored by the Office of Diversity Affairs, which is committed to the understanding, appreciation and celebration of diversity, and by the Association for the Advancement of Black Culture, College Democrats and the Center for Political Participation. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Office of Diversity Affairs at (814) 332-3332.