Dreaming Beyond Rikers

The event is free and is first come, first served with RSVP and a suggested donation.
FOR VENIDA, FOR KALIEF Film & The People's Forum Present : Dreaming Beyond Rikers

June 6th will be the 11th Anniversary of Kalief Browder's death and we will be screening FOR VENIDA, FOR KALIEF , which was selected for the 2025 Tribeca Festival U.S. Documentary Competition. The film the poetry of Venida Brodnax Browder, mother of Kalief Browder, and weaves a lyrical and cinematic mosaic connecting past, present, and future while exploring the movement to transform Rikers Island- the world’s most notorious J*il- into a renewable energy center. Full film synopsis below.
Please join us for a powerful and grounding afternoon at The People’s Forum! Following the film screening, advocates from the Campaign to Close Rikers and Local Law 42 to end solitary confinement in NYC- Jails Action Coalition, HALT Solitary, Freedom Agenda, Rikers Public Memory Project, NYC-EJA, Renewable Rikers and more will lead a panel on pushing for the implementation of Local Law 42 and the realities of closing Rikers Island J*il by the legally-mandated deadline of August 31, 2027.
The afternoon ends with a grounding sound bath provided by DarMae Essentials

Important: if you are participating in the sound bath, please bring a sheet or mat to lay down on as an option

Acupressure via ear seeds provided by Qi Zone Wellness and On Point NYC

Guided reflection provided by Broken Hearts Restored

Time for tabling/chatting will also be offered

Light refreshments will be served

Space is limited- entry is first come, first served; advance registration is required
FILM SYNOPSIS
FOR VENIDA, FOR KALIEF (82 minutes) delves into the profound legacy of Kalief Browder, who at age 16 was sent to New York’s notorious Rikers Island J*il complex for allegedly stealing a backpack. After three years of solitary confinement, he was released without charge, but later committed suicide at the age of 22. At the heart of this narrative is his mother, Venida Brodnax Browder, who found solace in writing poetry before dying from broken heart syndrome. FOR VENIDA, FOR KALIEF is a cinematic mosaic, an immersive journey connecting past, present, and future that is balanced between contemporary verite and vivid poetic interludes and rare archival imagery that take us back to the untold story of the Citywide J*il Rebellion of 1970 led by the Black Panthers and Young Lords. Taking an unconventional and liminal approach, the film explores how the carceral system is a vicious cycle, and that an individual’s life - and afterlife - can expand exponentially to create societal change previously considered unattainable.

Watch Trailer Here

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The People's Forum, 320 West 37th Street, New York, United States

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