Please join us in Anspach 161 on Friday, April 24, at 3:00 p.m. for an exclusive pre-screening of Cedric Taylor's new film, A Benton Harbor Story" This is the kickoff event for Critical Engagements 2026–2027, when we'll announce our new theme for next year: "The American City: Detroit and Beyond."

A Benton Harbor Story examines how racism, infrastructural decline, and the erosion of democracy converged to produce a water crisis—and how a poor, majority-Black community fought to save itself.

Though the Flint water crisis lingers in recent memory, Benton Harbor has its own story to tell. Many Americans see cities like Benton Harbor through the lens of the past, but its story may foretell an unsettling future for the rest of us.