Tina Mabry never set out to become your conventional Hollywood blockbuster director – nor is she trying to be.

Yet, with her nationally acclaimed feature film Mississippi Damned – a true-to-life drama about a black family struggling with poverty, alcoholism, homophobia and racism in the rural south – the filmmaker is making huge strides in bringing independent black queer cinema to the masses.

There is a tradition in the African-American community (and some others) known as "Testifying." When you have found the answer, you are expected to share it with the community – to tell the story of your personal journey from faithless to faithful, from sick to healed or from oppression to freedom.

W.E.B. Dubois is recognized as one the great African-American authors of all time. In 1903, he published a book entitled “The Souls of Black Folks.” The book contained essays on race written by Dubois, and drew from his personal experiences being African-American during that time period.

Lack of economic opportunity, pollution, inadequate schools, substandard housing, limited access to healthcare and healthy foods have led to extreme health disparities within the African American community. Tonight the African People's Education and Defense Fund is sponsoring a presentation and community conversation focusing on these issues.