American Violet tells the story of Dee Roberts, a 24-year old African American single mother of four, living in the town of Melody. One day, while Dee is working a shift at the local diner, the powerful local district attorney leads a drug bust, sweeping up Dee and other members of her housing project. Indicted based on the uncorroborated word of a single and dubious police informant facing his own drug charges, Dee soon discovers she has been charged as a drug dealer. Even though Dee has no prior drug record and no drugs were found on her in the raid or any subsequent searches, she is offered a hellish choice: plead guilty and go home as a convicted felon or remain in prison and fight the charges thus, jeopardizing her custody and risking a long prison sentence.

The film is based on the civil rights lawsuit Regina Kelly v. John Paschall, filed on behalf of 15 African-American residents of Hearne, Texas who were indicted in November 2000 on drug charges after being rounded up in a series of drug sweeps.

Snacks will be provided.

A discussion on how racism challenges the constituional right of effective assistance will follow.

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