Man up!  Don’t be a sissy!  Statistics tell us that compared to girls, boys are more likely to flunk or drop out of school, two times more likely to be in special education, and four times more likely to be expelled.  Suicide is the third leading cause of death for boys.

The Appreciating Diversity Film Series is proud to present the award-winning documentary film, THE MASK YOU LIVE IN by Jennifer Seibel Newsom, which explores the pressure for boys to “act like men.” For this film we are pleased to have the Piedmont Parents Network (PPN), a support group for parents of Piedmont Middle and High School students, as our co-sponsor.

THE MASK YOU LIVE IN follows boys and young men as they confront messages from media, peer groups and even adults in their lives, encouraging them to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify women, and resolve conflicts through violence. These gender stereotypes interconnect with race, class, and circumstance to create a maze of identity issues boys and young men must navigate to become “real” men.

The film includes interviews with experts in neuroscience, psychology, sociology, sports, education, and media, offering substantial evidence of the “boy crisis” and tactics to combat it. The Mask You Live In illustrates how we, as a society, can raise a healthier generation of boys and young men.

The Appreciating Diversity Film Series is sponsored by the Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Committee and the Piedmont League of Women Voters.

 2 FREE Screenings

In Piedmont:  Thursday, March 17, 2016
Ellen Driscoll Playhouse 325 Highland Avenue, Piedmont
6:30 PM Free reception | 7 – 8:45 PM screening

In Oakland: Saturday, March 26, 2016
The New Parkway, 474 24^th Street (near Telegraph), Oakland
3:00 pm