Backpack Full of Cash, a documentary narrated by actor Matt Damon about the use of school vouchers and charter schools in cities such as New Orleans and Philadelphia, will make its Arkansas premiere with a free showing at 6:30 p.m. today at Philander Smith College in Little Rock.
The documentary focuses on the harmful effect of the initiatives and will be shown in the M.L. Harris Auditorium.
The event is hosted by Grassroots Arkansas and Save Our Schools, which are community organizations focused on public education issues in Little Rock.
"This is the same fight. New Orleans is the blueprint for what they've started in Little Rock. We need to know what's coming," said Acadia Roher, a member of Grassroots Arkansas.
After the film, there will be a brief panel discussion about the film's subject matter in relation to Little Rock, including the effect on traditional public education and how Little Rock residents can work to strengthen their public school system at a time when the number of public charter schools is increasing.
The film screening is sponsored by the Schott Foundation and Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, national supporters of public education. It is the first in a series of events about public education hosted by Grassroots Arkansas in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Little Rock Central High School desegregation crisis.
Metro on 09/07/2017