GOOD TALK WITH MATTHEW SOLOMON
Director & Writer for REIMAGINING SAFETY
Matthew Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker, best-selling author, conflict resolution facilitator, and adjunct professor at Antioch University where he teaches Conflict Resolution and Intercultural Conflict. His passion for social justice developed at a young age having grown up in Los Angeles and witnessing the Rodney King Beating and ensuing LA Riots.
Following the police murder of George Floyd in 2020, Matthew returned to school to obtain a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration in order to make a bigger difference in the world. REIMAGINING SAFETY was his capstone project. Over the past two years, this documentary has won multiple awards, has been screened more than 80 times at community events in over 46 different cities across the US, and has been endorsed by more than 120 community organizations. Having traveled to so many cities with the film, Matthew has had a unique experience of seeing how organizers in different cities work to provide services and resources to their communities. He is often asked to share what is working and is not working in different cities.
In addition to community events, REIMAGINING SAFETY has been screened with Q&As at Princeton University, the University of Southern California, the University of California Los Angeles, Indiana University, and California State University Los Angeles, among others. And, with a focus on utilizing art as activism, Matthew has designed and taught his DIY Activist Filmmaking course several universities and high schools.
Expertise
My work is rooted in the understanding that, at our core, people want to feel heard, understood, and valued. My approach to creating the film "Reimagining Safety" and being in community spaces where people have experienced deep traumas as the result of violence, requires that I listen and hold space in ways that put people at ease and have them feel heard, understood, and valued. I am a good person to speak on the topic of the film because I had spent several years researching the topic leading up to completing the film, and then have spent the past two years being in community with organizers across the country and seeing how everything works in practice. While there are similarities, each city has its own unique needs and challenges. I am often asked to share my observations.
Speaking History
Princeton University, Indiana University, USC, UCLA, Cal State Los Angeles, Rutgers University, Rider University, Goddard College, and Rhodes College
Following the police murder of George Floyd in 2020, Matthew returned to school to obtain a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration in order to make a bigger difference in the world. REIMAGINING SAFETY was his capstone project. Over the past two years, this documentary has won multiple awards, has been screened more than 80 times at community events in over 46 different cities across the US, and has been endorsed by more than 120 community organizations. Having traveled to so many cities with the film, Matthew has had a unique experience of seeing how organizers in different cities work to provide services and resources to their communities. He is often asked to share what is working and is not working in different cities.
In addition to community events, REIMAGINING SAFETY has been screened with Q&As at Princeton University, the University of Southern California, the University of California Los Angeles, Indiana University, and California State University Los Angeles, among others. And, with a focus on utilizing art as activism, Matthew has designed and taught his DIY Activist Filmmaking course several universities and high schools.
Expertise
My work is rooted in the understanding that, at our core, people want to feel heard, understood, and valued. My approach to creating the film "Reimagining Safety" and being in community spaces where people have experienced deep traumas as the result of violence, requires that I listen and hold space in ways that put people at ease and have them feel heard, understood, and valued. I am a good person to speak on the topic of the film because I had spent several years researching the topic leading up to completing the film, and then have spent the past two years being in community with organizers across the country and seeing how everything works in practice. While there are similarities, each city has its own unique needs and challenges. I am often asked to share my observations.
Speaking History
Princeton University, Indiana University, USC, UCLA, Cal State Los Angeles, Rutgers University, Rider University, Goddard College, and Rhodes College