Back to All Events

MLK Jr. Day: Dominique Christina, Spirit of Grace, JustUs Monologists and guest performer Bo-Co DA Dougherty Expressing the Civil Rights Impact of the Criminal Justice System

  • via Zoom Boulder, CO (map)

“I love these monologues because they shift the narrative that has enabled systems of oppression in the U.S.” - Bryan Stevenson, ED of the Equal Justice Initiative

JustUs fills me with hope and energy for the future.” - Boulder County DA, Michael Dougherty

To honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Motus Theater is offering a virtual space for music, poetry, and storytelling featuring Black Americans speaking out against mass incarceration. Don’t miss formerly incarcerated Motus Monologists from the JustUs project with the incomparable national slam poet Dominique Christina; powerful music from Spirit Grace; and Boulder County DA, Michael Dougherty and Jessica Howard, the racial justice campaign coordinator at the ACLU of Colorado, stepping into the shoes of a JustUs monologist by reading his story aloud and reflecting on the impact of the criminal legal system on his life. This free event will be streamed via Zoom with the goal of mobilizing discussion and inspiring action toward true justice. A perfect event for thoughtful family dialogue and reflection on the ongoing civil rights and racial justice challenges of the criminal legal system.

JustUs monologists featured in this performance include: Brandon Wainright, Daniel Guillory and Juaquin Mobley.

The JustUs project was developed by Motus Theater in 2019 and premiered as a keynote at the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference in front of 1,600 stakeholders. Since then, the JustUs monologues have been featured in several national and global conferences and have been read and embraced by religious, social justice, civic and law enforcement leaders across the state including CO Representative Leslie Herod, and executive director of CO Department of Corrections, Dean Williams. The powerful monologues explore themes such as racial profiling, inequality in the bond/bail system, human rights abuses in prisons, criminalizing substance abusers, and the systemic racism and poverty that pushes people into illicit economies.

This presentation is sponsored by the City of Boulder Human Relations Commission and by the City of Boulder Arts Commission.