By 1808Delaware
On Thursday, Feb. 24, a movie screen in downtown Delaware becomes something more than entertainment. It becomes a starting point. At 6:00 PM, with doors opening at 5:30 PM, the historic Strand Theatre will host the first 2026 installment of Delaware Community Conversations: Meaningful Movies, a series designed to move audiences from watching to talking. This time, the focus is social justice, and more specifically, the lives of people who were unjustly accused.
The evening is a partnership between the Strand and the Unity Community Center, bringing a national story into a local room filled with local voices.
The film that sets the stage
The night begins with a screening of American Violet, a 2008 film based on the true story of Regina Kelly, a Texas mother caught in the crosshairs of aggressive drug enforcement tactics.
Portrayed by Nicole Beharie, the central character faces an impossible choice: plead guilty to a crime she did not commit and go home as a convicted felon, or fight the charges and risk years in prison. The cast includes Alfre Woodard, Charles S. Dutton, and Will Patton, and the film earned two NAACP Image Award nominations.
It is a story about pressure, power, and what happens when the system is stacked against someone with little room to maneuver.
When the story turns local
After the credits roll, the room will not empty. It will shift. A panel discussion will connect the themes of the film to real experiences and professional insight here in Delaware County.
Panelists include:
- Barshaunda N. Robinson, Assistant Public Defender for Delaware County
- Dr. Shari Stone-Mediatore, Professor of Philosophy at Ohio Wesleyan University and Co-Founder/Director of Education at Parole Illinois
- Richard and Janette Horton
Richard Horton was incarcerated six months after he and Janette were married. He spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit before being released in 2022 with the help of the The Ohio Innocence Project. The discussion will be co-moderated by Chaplain Chad Johns and Jason Timpson, Director of Multicultural Student Affairs at Ohio Wesleyan.
In other words, this is not an abstract conversation. It is one that will be grounded in lived experience, professional responsibility, and local context.
A broader February theme
This screening is also part of the Strand’s February Tuesday Night Series, which explores social justice through film all month:
- Just Mercy on Feb. 3
- 12 Angry Men on Feb. 10
- Fruitvale Station on Feb. 17
- American Violet on Feb. 24
As Strand representative Ransaw noted, many of these films are based on real people, and even the classic from the 1950s remains strikingly relevant today.
Why pair a movie with a panel
Tracey Peyton, managing director of the Strand, put it simply: pairing a movie with a panel makes a national issue local and relevant. It gives people a way to process what they have seen, ask questions, and hear from neighbors who have lived parts of that story. It creates space to talk about difficult topics and look for common ground.
That approach will continue later this year with a Changing Perspectives initiative during Pride Month in June and another special program planned for the fourth quarter.
The practical details
The event takes place at the Strand, 28 E. Winter St. in downtown Delaware.
Tickets are:
- $8.50 general admission
- $7 for students and teachers
- $6 for children, seniors, and military
The Unity Community Center, located at 50 Ross St., is co-hosting the event as part of its mission to improve quality of life in Delaware County through shared resources and intergenerational programming. Center activities are free and open to residents throughout the county. On Feb. 24, a film will play on the Strand’s screen. But the real focus will be what happens after the lights come back up.
Source: Strand Theatre
