Hello friends,
The last 4 years have been a whirlwind for me filled with ups and downs; struggles and triumphs. I didn’t anticipate being shut down mid-productions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a lesson in the TV & Film industry I didn’t think I’d experience until later in my career. However I am optimistic that with the knowledge and skills I’ve gained at Southern Connecticut State University that I am ready to bring real social change through my art.
Two years ago I had the pleasure of having April Capone as a political science professor at Gateway Community College,. Not only were our class discussions on race and social justice enlightening, she brought her personal experience as the mayor of East Haven, CT; a first hand testament to the systemic racism, abuse, and corruption inherent to the criminal justice system.
President Barack Obama illustrated this in a recent Facebook post. “It’s mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. It’s district attorneys and state’s attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved in police misconduct. Those are all elected positions. In some places, police review boards with the power to monitor police conduct are elected as well.”
Mayor Capone told a story of racial profiling, violence, corruption, and criminality that was shocking and heartbreaking. The abuses of the East Haven Police Department and beyond were so disturbing that her struggle brought me and my class to tears.
I knew immediately that when I was ready, I would need to tell this story.
The recent murder of George Floyd has been a tipping point for many Americans. Many who had been silent or simply unaware of the systemic racism, corruption, and police violence, are finally waking up.
As President Obama noted, “Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering.”
As Mayor Capone puts it:
“It’s not just my story but the story of the community and a reformed police department.”
It is now my duty and responsibility to bear the torch of knowledge and be a warrior of social change.
With everyone’s help and support, I will produce a docuseries to bring awareness of the injustices that have occurred in our community. The only way to ensure that we as a society change, is to learn from the mistakes of the past.
My first step is to start a crowdsource campaign to fund the docuseries on the EHPD scandal. I will need a committed team to increase awareness and produce a mini-doc that can be shown to bring in further donations. Hopefully when we have enough funding and footage we can then pitch to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. If you’d like to be part of the production please email me at jason@jasoncarubia.com.
This will be a difficult summer for productions due to social distancing. This project will have much research and footage to be gathered. The struggles we will encounter as a production will pale in comparison to the issues at hand.
President Obama recently gave this advice to graduating seniors:
“As scary and uncertain as these times may be, they are also a wake-up call, and they are an incredible opportunity, for your generation. Because you don’t have to accept what was considered normal before. You don’t have to accept the world as it is. You can make it into the world as it should be and could be. You can create a new normal, one that is fairer, and gives everyone opportunity, and treats everyone equally, and builds bridges between people instead of dividing them.”
I hope you all will join me in this shared cause.
Your friend,
Jason Carubia
