Urgent, ground-level stories from across the globe
Spanning Haiti’s community press movements, Kenya’s refugee-led radio journalism, and personal accounts of revolution and resilience. These films capture the courage of those reporting under pressure, where truth-telling becomes an act of survival, dignity, and defiance.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
We the People and Project Citizen program partners in states across the country will hold free, multi-day professional learning institutes this summer! Experience immersive professional learning with experienced educators and topical experts. Join the Center’s national network of civic education professionals. Receive materials that are ready to use with your students, along with ongoing mentorship support during the school year. Find out more and fill out an interest form at these links:
Literacy for We the People
(grades 3-8 teachers in Delaware)
Documents of Democracy
(grades 6-12 teachers in Florida, Tennessee, Texas and neighboring states such as Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma)
Project Citizen: Integrated Civic Competencies
(grades 6-12 teachers in California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, and Tennessee).
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
Join Rethinking Schools for a conversation on how teacher unions are leading the fight against fascism and ICE in their communities and schools. In this webinar, we will learn, celebrate, and amplify the lessons of the people heroically fighting back against ICE occupation — from Chicago to Los Angeles to Minneapolis. From the classroom to the street, we need to defend our students and together learn the most effective ways to kick ICE out of our schools and communities.
Participants will need access to Zoom. Register for the Zoom link.
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Time: 4 pm PT/6 pm CT/7 pm ET
The event is free. To make events like this available to more educators and activists, we would greatly appreciate your solidarity donation.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
We are thrilled to announce that film distributor Abramorama has acquired the North American theatrical rights to American Agitators. Please see this article about the film.
As Abramorama president, Karol Martesko-Fenster, says in their press release, “American Agitators is a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and equity is never finished. It is passed from one generation to the next. Raymond Telles has crafted a deeply resonant film that connects the visionary organizing of Fred Ross Sr. to the urgent movements of today. We are proud to bring this story to North American audiences.” American Agitators will open at The Quad theater in New York City on May 1 and will run for the entire week and then rollout across the US and Canada to follow. Please join us in NYC and invite your family and friends
Tickets avaliable April 27 on our website.
For upcoming screenings and tickets in your city, click here: Join us!
(If your city is not listed, check back soon. We continue to add more screenings.)Check out and share the official trailer to American Agitators HERE.
As we say in the opening of the film:Effective agitators advance society by protecting values rooted in dignity, equality and justice. They build power by joining together to make change. Successful movements have never been about one person. A movement is shaped by courage, sacrifice and the leadership of thousands who have come together to demand a more just and equitable future.As we enter this new phase of the our impact campaign, which will enable to reach thousands of more viewers, your continued support and guidance is greatly appreciated. A donation to our efforts will most assuredly make a difference in all of our efforts to make this world more just and equitable.
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Abramorama Acquires ‘American Agitators,’ Documentary On Fred Ross Sr. Who Mentored Dolores Huerta And Fought For More Just America
By Matthew Carey, Documentary Editor, Awards
Fred Ross Sr. and Dolores Huerta in ‘American Agitators’
EXCLUSIVE: Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to American Agitators, a documentary exploring the life and legacy of community organizer Fred Ross Sr., who mentored some of the most impactful activists in American history.Abramorama will open the film, directed by Raymond Telles, at The QUAD Cinema In New York City on May 1, followed by a rollout across the U.S. and Canada. The documentary is narrated by playwright and filmmaker Luis Valdez (himself the focus of the new documentary American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez) and features commentary from an incredible array of notable Americans guided and influenced by Ross, including Dolores Huerta, Nancy Pelosi, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., Satsuki Ina, Dale Minami, Eliseo Medina, Jessica Govea, Herman Gallegos, and Ed Roybal. Fred Ross Jr., who has continued his father’s organizing work, also appears in the film.
“American Agitators shows how pioneering organizer Fred Ross Sr. spent decades mobilizing communities to challenge segregation, fight for voting rights, and empower labor movements,” notes a release. “The film also follows organizers today who continue Ross’s work, tackling issues such as fair wages, workers’ rights, and systemic inequality.”
“American Agitators is a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and equity is never finished,” said Karol Martesko-Fenster, CEO/President of Abramorama. “It is passed from one generation to the next. Raymond Telles has crafted a deeply resonant film that connects the visionary organizing of Fred Ross Sr. to the urgent movements of today. We are proud to bring this story to North American audiences.”
Among Telles’s credits is the 2015 documentary Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey, co-directed by Yvan Iturriaga, which aired as part of the PBS series American Masters.
Yemeni labor organizer Sharif (left) and Fred Ross Sr., circa 1975, CATHY MURPHY/GETTY IMAGES
“Fred Ross Sr. spent his life proving that ordinary people, when organized, can change the world,” Telles observed in a statement. “Making this film was a profound reminder that the work he started — fighting segregation, expanding voting rights, empowering workers — is still being carried on today, in Atlanta, in Oakland, and in communities across the country. I hope audiences leave the theater ready to be agitators themselves.”
Fred Ross Jr. (left) in “American Agitators.”
Among those Ross Sr. helped train were César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, who went on to found the United Farm Workers in 1962. (The reputation of Chávez, who died in 1993, recently imploded after the New York Times published an investigation that accused him of sexual abusing girls and sexual assault of women. Huerta just came forward to say Chávez raped her in 1966 and forced her to have sex on other occasions. The revelations do not tarnish Ross’s unparalleled work advocating for the downtrodden, disadvantaged, and overlooked in American society.).
“The film also highlights how Ross’s principles of grassroots organizing continue to shape labor movements today,” the release adds. “In Atlanta, Georgia, ‘Fight for $15’ organizers advocate for higher wages and unionization across the Southern states. In Oakland, California, in 2023, teachers, families, and community members joined forces to secure a fair contract with the Oakland School District, guided by the organizing and voter engagement strategies pioneered by Fred Ross Sr. and advanced by his son, Fred Ross Jr.”
Abramorama and The Fred Ross Project present American Agitators. The film is directed and produced by Raymond Telles (The Fight in the Fields) and produced by Olivia Heffernan David Telles. John Heffernan and Margo Feinberg serve as executive producers. Cinematography is by Vicente Franco and Daniel Telles; Angela Reginato edited the film. Mark Adler composed the score; Kenn Rabin serves as archival producer.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
Hosted by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs | Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT | (12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT)| Virtual Register Here
We invite you to Building a Truth Process in Minnesota: The Minnesota Truth Council & Lessons from Global Practice, a free virtual convening on April 28, hosted by the Humphrey School’s Global Policy program and University partners.*
As federal enforcement actions reshape communities across Minnesota, a growing coalition of advocates, legal experts, and community organizations is asking a foundational question: how will the Minnesota Truth Council, established by Executive Order, document what is happening and ensure accountability? And what can we learn from experiences elsewhere around the world.
This event brings together international experts in truth commissions and transitional justice with Minnesota-based advocates and community leaders, including those affiliated with the MN Truth Council.
Together, they will examine how truth commissions are structured, what they can and cannot accomplish, and how testimony from affected communities can be collected and preserved to support long-term accountability.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
*Co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota Law School’s James H. Binger Center for New Americans and Human Rights Center; the College of Liberal Arts’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Human Rights Program, and Immigration History Research Center; Humphrey School Global Policy program, and the Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy at the Humphrey School.
For questions or accessibility requests, please contact hhhevent@umn.edu.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
Go beyond the headlines with our speakers as they share the challenges, risks, and defining moments of documenting ICE and pivotal current events shaping our world today.
Stephanie Heimann – Photo Director at The New Republic, a veteran visual editor specializing in politics, global issues, and the environment.
Ron Haviv – Emmy-nominated filmmaker and award-winning photojournalist, co-founder of VII, whose work on conflict and human rights has shaped global conversations and appeared worldwide.
April 25th, 10am- 11am EDT
Register:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQOuy4AW0qqDa8QZRqV8yIPGoI2QFXYlC5CGH_mdlnpTmCOQ/viewform
@newrepublic@TheVIIFoundation@HREUSA#humanrightseducation
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
Monday, April 13, 2026, 7 pm ET Flyer
Module 9: Action Lab: Strategies for Defending Democracy and Human Rights Register here
Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills and information needed to take action on rights issues in their communities.
The 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.
See all recordings of past 2025-26 sessions
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
From survivors reclaiming their narratives, to communities rebuilding after conflict, to unlikely acts of courage, justice, and care — these films explore resilience in all its forms.
Welcome Filmmakers
FENICE by Sterling Hampton IV
HOW TO SUE THE KLAN by John Beder (Emmy® Nominated)
EXODUS by Bob Miller
THE REALITY OF HOPE by Joe Hunting
CLASSROOM 4 by Eden Wurmfeld (Oscar® Shortlisted)
FREEDOM (UHURU) by Olz McCoy
IMILLA SKATE: THE CHOLITA SKATERS OF BOLIVIA by Rebecca Basaure and Mariano Carranza
ROOTED IN RESILIENCE: INDIGENOUS WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS LEADING WITH TRADITION by Michelle Alvarado
HEALING THE HEART THROUGH ART by Natsumi Koakutsu
THIS IS WHERE I LEARNED NOT TO SLEEP by Kirsten Kelly and Anne de Mare
THE HIDDEN by Annie Lukowski and BJ Schwartz
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
April 17, 2026
8:30 am – 2:30 pm
The Center for Childhood & Youth Studies is hosting a free virtual conference that shares the Global Wisdom of 10 Scholars who are part of its international Fellows Program. Research and recommendations on how to improve children and youth wellbeing will be shared by scholars from England, China, India, Pakistan, and the USA.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
Monday, March 9, 2026, 7 pm ET
This module examines how digital technologies, including AI, surveillance systems, and data collection, impact democratic participation and individual rights. Participants will explore the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies on privacy, freedom of expression, and civic engagement. The module emphasizes strategies for protecting digital rights, promoting transparency, and fostering informed participation in online and offline democratic spaces. Through case studies and interactive discussions, participants will learn how to navigate the digital landscape responsibly while advocating for inclusive, rights-respecting digital governance.
Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills and information needed to take action on rights issues in their communities.
The 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.
Upcoming Session…
| 2025–26 TAAS Sessions>> 2025-26 TAAS Flyer >> RegisterModule 8: Digital Rights and Democracy: Navigating AI, Surveillance, and Privacy 🗓️ March 9, 2026 7PM-8:30PM ET >> RegisterModule 9: Action Lab: Strategies for Defending Democracy and Human Rights 🗓️ April 13, 2026 7PM-8:30PM ET >> Register>> See all recordings of past 2025-26 sessions |
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
HRE USA 