Join us on September 19 at 5:30 p.m. for a film screening and panel discussion in Albuquerque of the film Racially Charged. The film exposes how our country’s history of racial injustice evolved into an enormous abuse of power within the justice system. We will watch the film, have a panel discussion with Q&A, and then discuss what our plans are for the upcoming legislative session and how you can help us end injustices in our criminal legal system.
Food and drink will be provided at the screening.
About Racially Charged
America’s Misdemeanor Problem exposes how our country’s history of racial injustice evolved into an enormous abuse of criminal justice power. 13 million people a year – most of them poor and people of color – are abused by this system.
Through first-person accounts of those charged under the Black Codes of the Reconstruction era paralleled with the outrageous stories of people trapped in the system today, the film brings to light the unfolding of a powerful engine of profits and racial inequality. With the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, this film provides historical context and examines America’s history of racist oppression.
About Our Panelists
Leon Howard
Leon Howard was raised in Albuquerque's International District. Leon has defended people’s civil rights and liberties in New Mexico for thirteen years. Leon is the Legal Director at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, where he leads the affiliate's legal department and litigation efforts.
Leon is a passionate advocate for racial equality and justice. He knows firsthand the damaging effects of racial injustice, and his strong connections in communities of color have made him a “go-to” legal resource when people in those communities experience injustice and civil rights abuses. Leon is also passionate about protecting the rights of all underrepresented populations and people who are victims of governmental/institutional abuse of power.
Barron Jones
Barron joined the ACLU of New Mexico in January 2018 after spending several years working as a journalist for the Rio Grande Sun in Española where he covered stories related to government accountability and education. He also has extensive experience writing about issues of domestic violence, poverty, and addiction, especially as they relate to the pressing need for criminal justice reform.
He earned a degree in journalism from the University of New Mexico and has worked for several news outlets in Central and Northern New Mexico. Barron entered school as a nontraditional student and credits his education for helping him to address the issues that led him to be negatively impacted by the state’s criminal justice system.
He believes his work on justice reform will have a powerful impact on his community. Barron grew up in Detroit, but has lived in New Mexico for over 20 years. He is the proud papa of two rescue dogs, Holmes and MeToo.
Maxwell Kaufman, J.D.
As an Attorney with Disability Rights New Mexico, Max Kauffman seeks to assert legal protections and advocate on behalf of those with physical and mental disabilities. He has a background as a Mental Health Attorney in the Misdemeanor Division of the Law Offices of the Public Defenders, in Albuquerque, NM. There, he represented individuals with mental illness who were pending proceedings for Competency to Stand Trial and participants in behavioral health and outreach courts.
Max Kauffman currently a co-chair of Albuquerque’s Mental Health Response Advisory Committee and is also on the board of directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New Mexico. Additionally, he stays active in local collaborative stakeholder groups, such as the Bernalillo County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Diversion and Re-Entry subcommittee, and the Coalition for a Safer ABQ. He believes strongly in the community’s capacity to shape its future in the field of behavioral health through partnership with local governments, stakeholders, and those with lived-experience.
Amber Farrell
Amber Farrell is the New Mexico State Deputy Director for the Fines and Fees Justice Center, based in Albuquerque. She works alongside State Director Monica Ault to advance state and local campaigns for fines and fees reform.
Before joining FFJC, Amber was an Associate Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall where she conducted extensive policy research and qualitative and quantitative analysis in the areas of child welfare and juvenile justice. She also served as a Policy Fellow for the Office of the Mayor at the City of Chicago and began her career providing supplementary math instruction to Chicago high school students. Amber is a dedicated social justice advocate with a depth of experience organizing around Black and Brown liberation.
Amber holds a Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.A. in Public Policy from Stanford University.
