Media Bytes: A CSJD Signature Event Series

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:45:08 -0400
dialogue, inclusion, justice, movies, music

Overall Series Description:

Media Bytes is a signature series from the Center for Social Justice Dialogue with programs designed and facilitated by Social Justice Dialogue Facilitation Fellows. Programs in this series invite participants to engage social justice topics through shared media and meaningful dialogue. In this series, we listen to short “bytes” of podcasts, films, or TV clips, or songs and come together for guided conversation. Media Bytes encourages curiosity, critical listening, and collective reflection as we unpack complex issues, one byte at a time.

Session Descriptions:

1. Rest is Resistance

Wednesday March 25th, 7:00-9:00pm, Women Gender and Equity Center (Commons)

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152157

Join us for a fun and reflective evening rooted in rest, dialogue, and community! We’ll be watching one of Tricia Hersey’s talks on rest as resistance and engaging in dialogue on how rest and collective care are tools for collective liberation. Come for a chance to reflect, chat with new friends, enjoy some snacks/refreshments, and decorate your own rest journal.

1. The Sound of Resistance: A Lesson From Sinners

Friday April 17th, 4:00-5:30, Commons 318

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152876

Inspired by the film Sinners, this interactive dialogue invites participants to explore how music carries the experiences, struggles, and resilience of communities across generations. Centering the powerful “I Lied To You” scene, we will reflect on the historical role of music in Black culture and examine how songs can communicate truth, challenge injustice, and preserve stories that might otherwise go unheard. Together, we’ll explore how music has shaped social movements, sparked cultural conversations, and united people across differences. By the end of the event, participants will contribute to a collective playlist that reflects the sounds of our generation; songs that capture the power of music to inspire, resist, and create lasting meaning. Join us for an evening of dialogue, reflection, and community as we ask: what gives music the power to transcend generations?

1. Meaning in Bollywood Music

Monday April 20, 6-8pm, The Center for Wellbeing

Event Link: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/csjd/events/152883

Join us for an engaging and reflective evening centered on music, language, and cultural meaning. Dialogue and Meaning in Bollywood Lyrics invites participants to thoughtfully explore the depth behind popular Bollywood songs, examining how lyrics convey emotion, identity, and cultural narratives that often extend beyond direct translation. Through a guided selection of songs, we will analyze key lyrical excerpts in both their original Hindi/Urdu and English translations. Participants will engage in facilitated dialogue to consider how meaning is shaped by language, context, and personal experience. What nuances are lost or transformed in translation? How do cultural references and poetic expression influence interpretation? This program creates space to critically reflect on these questions while learning from diverse perspectives.