Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS, GPB and The Smile Trust will host a screening of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Katja Esson’s “Razing Liberty Square,” featuring a panel discussion.  Join us for a conversation about three prevalent issues facing communities nationwide – climate change, housing insecurity, and economic inequity – driving redevelopment in Liberty City, Miami.

Until recently, it was home to the oldest segregated public housing project in the United States, Liberty Square. Now, it is ground zero for a burgeoning trend: climate gentrification. As rising seas threaten Miami’s luxurious beachfront, wealthy property owners are pushing inland to higher ground, creating a speculators’ market in a neighborhood previously ignored by developers and policy-makers alike. Located 12 feet above sea level, Liberty City becomes more attractive with each rising tide and as a result, the original Liberty Square is demolished, displacing residents and erasing a decades-old community. 

Indie Lens Pop-Up and GPB aim to spark enlightening conversations that shed light on social issues affecting communities around the United States. 

“Razing Liberty Square” will debut on January 29, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET on PBS and the PBS App (check local listings). 

For more information, visit: https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/razing-liberty-square/

 

The panel will be moderated by Renee' Mowatt and will include

Valencia Gunder

Yonasda Lonewolf

Adrienne Rice

 

About the Smile Trust

The Smile Trust has been operating for eight years, providing support to communities the most in need of resources.
In addition to emergency services, they maintain three main programs:

Smile Day

Smile Day is our unsheltered outreach program which includes a monthly volunteer day that includes hot food, Clothes, Hot showers and other resources for under-resourced and unsheltered communities with the aim of bringing joy and happiness to our communities.

CEOC

The Community Emergency Operations Center is a grassroots resilience network, where movement organizations, organizers, and community members become first responders after natural and man made disasters. 

Smile Haven

Smile Haven is a direct response to food insecurities in under-resourced communities. We grow and provide fresh organic food to our communities. We partner with local food organizations to assist with food education, agriculture education. 

About Indie Lens Pop-Up

Indie Lens Pop-Up is a community series that brings people together for film screenings and conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS's INDEPENDENT LENS, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most. Learn more at pbs.org/indielenspopup.

About INDEPENDENT LENS
INDEPENDENT LENS is an Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary series. With founding executive producer Lois Vossen, the series has been honored with 10 Academy Award nominations and features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Acton Family Giving, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts. Stream anytime on the PBS App. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens.