The Chicago-native came to national prominence after he was assaulted, chained and arrested near his campus (the University of Virginia) last year.
Today’s Blacktivism Conference, organized by Syracuse University NAACP chapter featured activists such as Bobby Seale, DeRay McKesson and Martese Johnson, as well as journalists Angela Robinson and Tionna Smalls.
A quartet of Syracuse arts groups, including The Place Theater, Syracuse Jazz Fest, The Syracuse International Film Festival and Sound Garden, held a press event today in Armory Square. The group will collaborate to host a premiere of Jaco, a documentary about bassist Jaco Pastorius. The film was produced by Robert Trujillo and directed by Paul Merchange and Stephen Kijak.
Trujillo will make an appearance at the screening, which will take place at the Palace on Friday, November 27. Earlier in the day he will he will do a in-store DVD signing at The Sound Garden.
The 2007 Syracuse Jazz Fest was dedicated to Jaco Pastorius.