The University of North Florida showed the award-winning documentary “3 ½ Minutes, 10 Bullets” to a sold out audience Tuesday night.
The film uses the November 2012 shooting death of Jacksonville teenager Jordan Davis to examine Florida’s Stand-Your-Ground law and how young, black men fare in the criminal justice system.
A panel discussion after the screening included Jordan’s father Ron Davis and criminal defense attorney Mark O’Mara, who successfully defended George Zimmerman in his murder trial for killing unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.
O’Mara says he’s seen first-hand what he describes as an uneven application of justice in this country.
“You know, we are now looking at what we perceive to be a crisis in the American justice system, the way we treat young black males. So a film like ‘3 ½ Minutes’ and some of the other conversations we’ve been having about race and justice are not only timely, they’re absolutely necessary if we’re going to make progress.”
“3 ½ Minutes, 10 Bullets” won the best documentary award for social justice at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Tuesday night’s screening was part of UNF’s Distinguished Voices Lecture Series.
