Sit-in Demonstration

WHEN:          Nov 9, 2010      

                       1:00 PM-3:00 PM

WHERE:        Southern Illinois University Carbonale

Center of the Communications Studies Building

WHY:             Protesting against the T. Don Hutto: Family Residential Center

FOR WHOM: Victims, Social Awareness, Experiences of those released

My Mission:

I am creating a demonstration where people will be welcomed to gather for a sit-in in the center of the communication studies building where there is an enclosed glass sitting area. This space is often forgotten about and unused. When I asked the Theater manager about he space, he said it is not anyone’s space, no one has jurisdiction on the space and therefore it is free to use. This caught my attention as the people awaiting immigration status who are stuck in T. Don Hutto: Family Residential Center are also under noone’s jurisdiction.

Hutto is not your typical center, it is an institution where families are detained until their asylum or immigration status is determined. The entire family is detained, women, men, and children. Sometimes they are detained separately and other times the family is altogether. I will be setting up a mock cell, where I will sit as Justicia with several municas, or Mexican dolls, in place of children for two hours. I will be allowed to have paper and a black marker, while I remain locked up and masked in a 5x8 plastic cell.

Outside of the cell, the ladies will be providing information about T. Don Hutto: Residential Center and inviting people to go view her through the window. Audience members, need not attend the entire  time, unless you just want to, come and go as you please. Just remember to leave me a note somewhere before you go. My flyer provides information about the facility for people to take away with them as well as my contact information for further dialogue, and current information on laws on immigration detainees. Lastly, I will set out computers where people can reflect on the experience by leaving comments on Justicia’s available blog and facebook open and available on site.  A projected video, "The Least of These" will be shown on the outside of the cell and will be providing a visual and mediated image of T. Don Hutto. The ladies will simply direct the people who are willing to come and see what is happening.

After a two-hour period, Justicia will be released. The gathered elements that were set out to have the information provided from audience members, during the sit, will be used in conjunction with the experience reflections from Justicia as a tool to analyze the effectiveness of a sit-in to create social awareness through political performance.

Justicia