Special Virtual Documentary Night! - Community Documentary Night (NOMA Atlanta)

Virtual Documentary Night is a monthly online event designed to give people the chance to discuss interesting ideas and topics explored in the documentaries that are free for anyone to access online. This Virtual Documentary Night is in collaboration with NOMA Atlanta, the Atlanta Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects. NOMA Atlanta’s mission is to champion diversity within the design professions by promoting the excellence, community engagement, and professional development of its members.

We are meeting in honor of Black History Month to talk about the documentary, Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story. Nicknamed “Architect to the Stars,” African American architect Paul R. Williams was one of the most successful architects of his time. But at the height of his career he wasn’t always welcome in the buildings he designed because of his race. Hollywood’s Architect will tell the story of how he used talent, determination and even charm to defy the odds and create a celebrated body of work. For the event we will meet on Zoom, where you participate in multiple rounds of small group discussions with a different discussion prompt and different randomized groups for each round. This gives you the opportunity to meet new people and hear a variety of perspectives throughout the night. You must watch the film on your own BEFORE the event. Click HERE to watch the film for free. You will receive the Zoom link and password once you register for the event.

We have generated a set of norms and expectations for our event. They were created to help us maintain a welcoming and civil environment for everyone in attendance. Please read through before attending. They will also be recited at the start of the event.

1. This event is open to all who are open to all. This is an inclusive event. We are open to anyone including all gender expressions, racial identities, political affiliations, etc. as long as you are open to hearing the perspective of others.

2. Step Up and Step Back. Step up meaning we ask that you step up and share your perspective so that we can learn and grow from your knowledge and experience. Step back meaning we ask that you step back on occasion, allowing yourself the opportunity to hear and grow from the experience and perspectives of others in attendance.

3. Allow others to express their full thought. This is just a nice way of saying try not to interrupt.

4. Be mindful of others wanting to speak. Try to keep your thoughts concise, allowing time for others to respond.

5. If you don't agree, this is not a debate but a discussion. So instead of trying to sway the other person, try to understand where they are coming from. That can be done by asking "What makes you think that?" This requires coming from a place of curiosity rather than competition.

6. But even though it's not a debate, feel free to challenge what is said. Not in saying "You're wrong." But by sharing the idea that you have and asking how that fits with what they just shared. This allows for both ideas to be in the same space and gives the other person an opportunity to explain their thinking.

7. Assume good intentions. We are all here to learn and grow together. If something does not sound right, ask first for clarification before jumping to conclusions.

8. If there is an issue, speak up in the moment, if at all possible. Some may not realize that what they said had a negative impact on those in the room. Speaking up can give them the opportunity to correct what they said.

9. If it is not possible to resolve amongst yourselves, request that the host join your room. Once he enters your breakout room you can explain the situation or send him a private message if you are not comfortable stating the problem openly. If you would rather wait till after the event, feel free to email the host at CommunityDocumentaryNight@gmail.com, then we can figure out a way of resolving the issue for future events.

10. It's ok to eat on video. This event occurs around dinner time for many of us. So feel free to eat while participating in the discussion. We just ask that you mute yourself while you are chewing.

If you have any questions or would like to be added to the email list, please contact Adam Hicks at CommunityDocumentaryNight@gmail.com.