A Most Beautiful Thing
A Most Beautiful Thing
Pankow Builders is proud to partner with esteemed industry peers ACCO Engineered Systems, Cupertino Electric Inc., Del Monte Electric Co., KPFF Consulting Engineers, and Southland Industries to host a Virtual Private Showing of the documentary film, A Most Beautiful Thing, along with a moderated panel discussion.
About the Event:
We are pleased to listen and learn from Mary Mazzio (Film Director), Arshay Cooper (Author of the memoir), David Banks (Olympian and Advisor for the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund), and Lyn-Tise Jones (Community Activist & Equity Champion) as moderator.
This is a two-part event:
1) Registered attendees will receive a private link to watch the film during a seven-day window prior to the panel discussion.
2) The link to join the panel discussion will be circulated on Thursday, March 11th, the morning of the event.
About the Film:
A Most Beautiful Thing chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in this country (made up of young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago), all coming together to row in the same boat. This inspirational film demonstrates the resilience to go against peer pressure and jeering, to not be weighted down by unimaginable tragedies, to reach out to build bridges to a better tomorrow, and to never give up.
Our Connection:
David Banks is one of Pankow's Project Managers, Senior Associates and Emerging Leaders. Not only has he made impacts in the construction industry, but he is also a two-time U.S. Olympic Rower; Five-time U.S. National Team Rower; and currently on the Board of Directors with Oakland Strokes Rowing Club. He is passionate and committed to increasing access and opportunity in the sport of rowing for people and communities who traditionally have not participated in, nor have been included by the sport. David along with other leaders in the national rowing community have been working hard to promote inclusion. David says, “The sport changed my life in so many ways and I believe so many others should be able to have that opportunity as well. My hope is we connect people, organizations, schools, and community partners to make the sport better and more accessible to under-resourced communities. Hopefully, we can actively learn from each other, so that our efforts are amplified, and we work as a team to help make the sport diverse and open to all.”
About our Journey:
Last June, when our world experienced the killing of George Floyd, Pankow Builders took a stand and declared that we must do better to address the rampant and systemic racism that continues to plague our nation. This is a complex journey that we approach with humility and curiosity. One step on this journey is to learn more and to highlight the stories and experiences of Black Lives.
We are grateful for this opportunity to celebrate and support the remarkable commitment and passion of one of Pankow’s own.
For David, “The movie is about rowing, but the themes are much deeper than that. Those of us in the movie found rowing in different ways, and it was impactful to us (not just on the water) but in changing the course of our lives. In that journey we navigated our own racial landscapes and environments in worlds that weren’t entirely diverse and inclusive. The movie celebrates making non-inclusive places more diverse and the power of opportunity that lets people be who they are capable of being.”
We thank our industry partners for joining us on this step in our journey as we learn and continue to build, grow and nourish a more diverse and inclusive environment within the AEC industry.
Learn More:
The 50 Eggs Production Company contributes 50% of earnings from A Most Beautiful Thing events to the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund. A portion also goes to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Stay tuned for how to attend the event.