On These Grounds
Film Synopsis
A video goes viral, showing a white police officer in South Carolina pull a Black teenager from her school desk and throw her across the floor. Healer-Activist Vivian Anderson uproots her life in New York City to move to South Carolina to support the girl and dismantle the system behind the assault at Spring Valley, including facing the police officer. Adding context, geographer Janae Davis treks the surrounding swamps and encounters the homes of formerly enslaved people of African descent, connecting the past to the present. Against the backdrop of a racial reckoning and its deep historical roots, one incident illuminates how Black girls, with the support of organizers, are creating a more just and equitable future for themselves and our entire education system.
Screenings
Apr 20, 2024
Presented by Colorado Circles for Change
Denver, CO
Private Event
Apr 20, 2024 - Apr 11, 2024
Presented by the Ohio Reformatory for Women
Marysville, OH
Private Event
Jan 5, 2022
Presented by East Aurora High School
East Aurora, NY
Private Event
Apr 20, 2024 - Apr 11, 2024
Presented by the Ohio Reformatory for Women
Marysville, OH
Private Event
Take Action
Join local and national efforts to end the over-policing of students, and invest in school-based counselors and mental health staff, as well as practices that create supportive, safe learning environments where students can thrive.
Support EveryBlackGirl, Inc.
Your donation allows EveryBlackGirl, Inc. to support Black girls around the country who experience trauma caused by over-policing.
Contact Your Representative
Tell your elected officials to support The Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, which would prohibit the use of federal funds for police in schools and help schools hire counselors, social workers, and support staff.
Change South Carolina's Youth Justice System
The South Carolina Juvenile Justice Reform Act, or S.53, would overhaul the state’s youth justice system. The proposed bill would vastly decrease the number of children who enter into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
Look Up Data on Your School District
Use a guide from the Education Civil Rights Alliance to look up your school district’s public data on racial and disability disparities in discipline, including suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement.
Connect With Organizers
Join #PoliceFreeSchools, a national campaign led by the Advancement Project and Alliance for Educational Justice, and connect with their local partner organizations in your city or town.
Download The Discussion Guide
Download the film’s discussion guide with additional resources and discussion prompts to help plan a screening and discussion.
Request A Speaker
Request one of the film participants to speak at your next screening or event!
About
Credits
Directed by Garrett Zevgetis
Produced by Ariana Garfinkel, Jeff Consiglio, Chico Colvard
Original Music by Chanda Dancy
Edited by Jeff Consiglio
Co-Editor Chrystie Martinez Gouz
Executive Producers: Kevin S. Bright, Ian Brownell
Associate Producers: Aisha Hallgren, Madison O’Leary, Eddie Wilson, Hong Zhu Cinematography by Alexandre Naufel, Christopher Lewis Dawkins, Pablo Durana, Ryan Miyamoto, Laura Kissel, Vanessa Carr
Produced by Ariana Garfinkel, Jeff Consiglio, Chico Colvard
Original Music by Chanda Dancy
Edited by Jeff Consiglio
Co-Editor Chrystie Martinez Gouz
Executive Producers: Kevin S. Bright, Ian Brownell
Associate Producers: Aisha Hallgren, Madison O’Leary, Eddie Wilson, Hong Zhu Cinematography by Alexandre Naufel, Christopher Lewis Dawkins, Pablo Durana, Ryan Miyamoto, Laura Kissel, Vanessa Carr
Impact Campaign
Today, police officers patrol the hallways of over half of American schools with very little vetting or oversight. Students — most often students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ students — receive infractions from officers for adolescent behaviors that historically were addressed by school administrators, increasing the rate of suspensions, expulsions, and arrests of young people. Hundreds of thousands of young people are pushed out of schools and into the carceral system through police interaction at school.
Represent Justice is leading an impact campaign for On These Grounds along with the filmmakers, film participants, non-profit and advocacy organizations, and system-impacted leaders. Through screenings and speaking events, we are working to shift the narrative around safety in US schools, while generating demand for removing police from our schools and investing in school-based resources for students and educators.