Ethics through Fiction and Film with the Oxford Character Project

How do books and films inform the way we see the world? How do they expand our moral imagination and illuminate new perspectives on how to live and lead?

These questions animate the Ethics through Fiction and Film reading group organized by The Oxford Character Project. The Oxford Character Project partnered with the Program for Leadership and Character for a recent virtual seminar on the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson on March 18, followed by a screening and discussion of the newly released film adaptation on March 25. Students and educators from Oxford and Wake Forest gathered to discuss the relevance of Stevenson’s story of working with inmates on death row through the Equal Justice Initiative.

“The Ethics through Fiction and Film discussion was such an enlightening experience. The book and film, Just Mercy, was incredibly thought-provoking surrounding justice and the flaws in our American criminal justice system,” Wake Forest first-year Silver Byrd said. “Hearing the perspective of several professionals and students from around the world helped me to take notice of interesting and unique metaphors and interpretations.”

The Program for Leadership and Character and the Oxford Character Project continue to collaborate on character-centered programming and are pleased to offer virtual opportunities to engage questions of leadership and character. They recently co-sponsored an international conference on “Character and the Professions,” which attracted over 2,300 registrants from 47 countries on 6 continents. Recordings of the conference session can be viewed here.