Racial Justice Activist Awards previews @VanguardJustice film and tv projects: Meleninum Dark Ghost Stories & The Change Makers mini-series

    SACRAMENTO, CA, November 01, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "The Racial Justice Act is landmark legislation and making it retroactive was critical…a promise to not leave behind those with past convictions tainted by systemic racism bias, both explicit and implicit," stated Elected Official Award winner Assemblymember (ASM) Ash Kalra, author of the groundbreaking Racial Justice Act ("RJA"), at the Vanguard Justice Awards Gala Sacramento Oct. 13, 2022, https://www.davisvanguard.org/2022/10/vanguard-justice-awards/). The gala began with a showing of the exclusive trailer for Meleninum Dark Ghost Stories (https://youtube.com/channel/UCMxEACU4H--sPse4HNEyUhw), which debuted to the capacity crowd.

The film, inspired by true stories of the struggle against the everyday injustices, highlights mostly colored people who are targeted, profiled, and even sentenced to death by racial bias on the streets, as well as inside courtrooms. The debut film of USC film intensive student Sanjana Jon Rebecca Abraham (@SanjanaJon), is a gripping adaptation of the critically acclaimed short play by AJ Alexander (Playwrights Project Home https://www.playwrightsproject.org/ - Echo yard, R.J. Donovan). This highly stylized film captures the glorification and consequences of xenophobia fueled American eugenics, Jim Crow laws, segregation, and nazi - white supremacy ideologies that are currently feeding anti-immigrant sentiments, mass shootings, and a slavery infused prison-based industry complex. It features real events and people, including current Los Angeles Chargers player Jason Moore, #BLM Founders, Pastor Edgar Boyd (L.A.'s 148 yr old First African Methodist Episcopol Church), ASM Ash Kalra, LADA George Gascon, parolees, and exonerees. Alongside new talent, the film features the mesmerizing original soundtrack by @Avvakend.

"This movie is going to be a must watch, must see movie for everyone not only in America but worldwide that believes in justice. It's going to tell the hard truth about what's going on in our prison system and provide hope. It's a must see, you will not regret it." said Dr. Tecoy Porter to The Davis Vanguard's founder, David Greenwald, at the event. "What I love about the film is that it draws connections between individuals and international freedom movements," said Vanguard Award winner Mano Raju (San Francisco Public Defender, currently campaigning for reelection).

The numerous award winners included James King (Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, recipient of the Formerly Incarcerated Leadership Award and Lifetime Achievment Award winners, Ellen Eggers (Retired Public Defender) and LaDoris Cordell (Retired State Judge). Other justice reformers, like California Attorney General Rob Bonta (also running for reelection), recently set up a new task force to tackle escalating racism and hate crimes against immigrants, especially foreigners of Asian and south Asian descent.

In strategic partnerships with organizations, including the International Justice Alliance ( https://www.internationaljusticealliance.org ) ("IJA", 501C3 Charity), @stylensprituality, Healing Lives, Reform-A-Nation, LKY Designs, and others, the Davis Vanguard ( https://www.davisvanguard.org/ ) nonprofit news organization, known for its integrity in independent journalism, is expanding globally with @VanguardJustice business ventures developing film and tv projects, a mobile app, a Racial Justice Activist training program, and an exclusive clothing line with fashion innovator @EcoVvear. @VanguardJustice is becoming the leading force for good, fact finding, endorsing fair political leaders and lawmakers with a range of attendees, supporters and sponsors, including activists like Dr. Bart Fisher (two time Nobel Peace Prize nominee), Dr. Bobby Kalotee (Chairman Friends for Good Health), Moishe Mana (philanthropist and humanitarian), Julie Madhusuthan (former Hulu executive), Emily Galvin Almanza (Partners for Justice), exoneree activists Marvin Mutch and Susan Mellen, Vinod Balakrishna, Sant Chatwall, Kim Carr (former mayor Huntington Beach, CA), Ali Sajjad Taj (former mayor City of Artesia) and Rajendra Vora (Beverly Hills Jain Social Group).

The other anticipated feature, The Change Makers mini series, highlights the people, protests, and legal battles behind the movements like #BLM and the RJA (to become retroactive law in January 2023). It also highlights India Awakes, a book by Dr. Bart Fisher, about the global impact of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We also get an exclusive insider look at the rise of L.A. District Attorney George Gascón who has made headlines for his controversial policies described as radical and yet conversely accused of selectively holding back when it comes to actually rectifying some wrongful convictions that are controversial. Fresh off his victory over an unprecedented second recall attempt Gascón faces supporters as well as challengers. USC PEP students union and community members met with Gascon to discuss the reality behind his policies to reduce racism and wrongful convictions without compromising public safety.

While Gascón has openly accused the previous L.A. District Attorney's administration of being racist in the vindictive prosecution of black men, the trial record of Anand Jon Alexander preserves the worst case of racial prejudice and injustice in a jury trial. Despite explicit court orders to the contrary, the L.A. prosecutors used racial, ethnic, and religious stereotypes (Indian, Hindu, Jewish background) to repeatedly demonize Mr. Alexander as a "smelly…pig," anti-american, foreigner, who "sat cross legged on the floor," reading "different languages…symbols" (i.e., Hebrew) right to left as part of nefarious "religious ritual" to brainwash and drug Caucasian women. Furthermore, post trial investigations confirm there was substantial favorable evidence withheld by the Beverly Hills Police Department that Mr. Alexander was the victim of a vast conspiracy of jaded women who colluded with the police to destroy Mr. Alexander's career. The combined approach of the prosecutor to use rhetorical tactics primed the jury and triggered implicit bias that contributed to the tainted and grossly erroneous guilty verdicts in clear violation of the RJA. Based on the overwhelming requirement under the RJA, there is no clear path for the prosecution to overcome the legal standard burden to stop the inevitable overturning of Mr. Alexander's verdict.

As the founder of the charity Mujer Alfa, former Assemblymember Patty Lopez (author of AB1909) noted, "the law enforcement misconduct behind the wrongful conviction of minorities especially in the case of Anan Jon as disturbing." The same was echoed by Exonerated Nation founder Obie Anthony who added "Anand Jon being locked up in a box going on 16 years and fighting for his life." (Anand Jon's Path to Freedom: A San Diego Meeting with …). https://www.davisvanguard.org/2020/03/anand-jons-path-to-freedom-a-san-diego-meeting-with-assemblymember-weber/

"We're part of more than a movie. We're part of a movement raising awareness, fundraising, and finding solutions to hate crimes wrongful convictions and climate crises" said actress Elyana Violet who, along with fellow cast members and filmmaker Sanjanaa are preparing projects for film festivals and streaming networks, are promoting the Racial Justice Activist campaign and offering merchandise for charity at (https://eco-vvear.myshopify.com).

Donations https://gofund.me/bdeffa77

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Media requests contact Seth Gordon at [email protected]

Volunteers, sponsorship, and strategic partnership: email [email protected] (501(C)3 charity International Justice Alliance - https://www.internationaljusticealliance.org/ )

The urgent need for a nation-wide mother organization for the falsely accused and wrongfully convicted to find sanctuary, support and relief lead to the genesis of International Justice Alliance.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, approved by the IRS as a tax-exempt, charitable organization.

Our primary purpose is to ensure a fair trial for every defendant in a criminal case, without which "justice for all" would ring hollow. In instances, where due process was clearly violated and where evidence of factual innocence was not presented to the jury/adjudicators (sometimes due to "newly discovered", but in some instances, as a result of it being withheld by some malicious police/ prosecutors) the need to ensure post conviction relief could not be more compelling.

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