Spiro and Grant as Role Models

Music: Hero - Mariah Carey

Tonight, we were graced to have Ellen Spiro, an Emmy Award winner, and Dr. Darlene Grant speak to us about the social injustices going on in the world, but especially the "girl scouts with mothers behind bars."

Are they role models for children today? I say YES! They epitomize innovation in their field: Dr. Grant in social work, Spiro in documentary film. They each seek new ways to solve modern-day problems. Dr. Grant, instead of following the conventional way of visiting prisoners, sows healing and reparation in mother/daughter relationships by establishing a casual connection through mother/daughter interviews and physical interactions. Goleman mentions in Primal Leadership that "gifted leadership occurs where heart and head - feeling and thought - meet" (62). In my opinion, Grant and Spiro have accomplished just that: passion and intelligence in implementing their method. They both "genuinely believe in that vision...[and] guide people toward it with a firm hand" (65).

1.6 million children with fathers in prison
200,000 children with mothers in prison
7 million children with a parent involved in the criminal justice system, probation, jail, etc.
89% of women in prison are mothers, a large percentage of those are primary caregivers in the home
What do these statistics mean to you?

In tonight's lecture, Spiro speaks of the universe as a compilation, not of atoms, but of stories. A multitude of stories. Interconnected and woven into the endless tapestry of the Earth's history. Embedded into layers and layers of ancestry and lineage. Spiro wishes to destroy the negative stigma of media in the girls' lives and perhaps create or revive a positive environment, full of love and support from the community. She brings up a quote by David Hockney, with the idea that the most interesting part of a photograph is that which is not seen. The same is true for Spiro's documentary Troop 1500. A mere 68 minutes. 68 minutes to tell various stories, each accumulating for a lifetime. That 68 minutes only depicts a moment in the lives of these people; it's what goes on before, between, and after these scenes that matter.