Pictured L to R: Mike Smith, director of Wayne State's Walter P.  Reuther Library; Marcella Wilson, president and CEO of Matrix Human  Services; Darryl Shreve, UTV producer

DETROIT - WatRUfightn4?, a short film designed to awaken a spirit of activism among Detroit's youth, earned a coveted Emmy Award last week from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Darryl Shreve, from Wayne State's University Television (UTV) and director of the film, and Marcella Wilson from Matrix Human Services accepted the Emmy in the Societal Concern category. Funding for the film was provided by the Walter and May Reuther Memorial Foundation. The 30-minute program, jointly produced by UTV and Matrix, seeks to motivate and empower youth to embrace a lifetime of volunteerism by highlighting the contributions of former United Auto Workers President Walter P. Reuther.

The film demonstrates that one person can make a difference, despite their own plight or circumstances, and draws comparisons to the current struggles and dreams of people today. The video includes Detroit residents, local musicians and youth who are taking personal responsibility and action to support global cause-related initiatives.

"Youth who volunteer, regardless of their socioeconomic status, do better in school. Doing better in school have a greater opportunity to break the generational cycle of poverty that is gripping our community," said Marcella Wilson PhD, President and CEO of Matrix Human Services.

Matrix fights the generational cycle of poverty in Detroit and working together with Wayne State University's School of Social Work, engages students directly in the Matrix mission through its Center for Social Work Practice and Policy Research, which provides the organization with best-practices information and support. In addition, students such as those in Wayne State's Irvin D. Reid Honors College and Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies participate in service-learning in cooperation with Matrix as part of their college experience.

"Wayne State's Reuther Library is honored to have been a sponsor and contributor of archival photos for this project, and we take great pride in the Emmy achievement of University Television's Darryl Shreve and Matrix CEO Marcella Wilson," said Mike Smith, director of the library. "This award is a testament to more than the quality of a compelling documentary. It speaks to each individual's power to change the world, and the results that community partnerships can achieve in tackling the toughest of urban problems."

To view the video, please visit www.watrufightn4.org. For more information or to obtain a hard copy, please call Jennifer Dickens at (313) 831-1000, ext. 1133.

 

A comprehensive digital press kit including video content and photos is available at:

https://docs.wayne.edu/4c1a81b1252c1.pdf

Adobe Acrobat Reader 9 is necessary to view the file and can be downloaded at: http://get.adobe.com/reader

 

Inspired by its heritage since 1906, Matrix Human Services advocates and serves the most vulnerable in the metropolitan Detroit community and empowers individuals and families to enhance the quality of their lives and achieve self sufficiency.

www.matrixhumanservices.org

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.