Join WXXI for a special FREE 1-hour preview screening of The Inquisitor, produced by filmmakers: Angela Lynn Tucker, Trevite Willis and Moira Griffin. The preview screening will be followed by a moderated panel discussion. Registration is required.
About the Film: Explore the life and legacy of Barbara Jordan in The Inquisitor. Jordan was a groundbreaking Texas congresswoman whose sharp intellect and moral clarity transformed U.S. politics. From Nixon’s impeachment to civil rights battles, her voice demanded accountability, while she privately faced struggles few ever knew of.
Indie Lens Pop-Up presents this free preview screening:
On Monday, February 16, 2026 at 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Doors Open at 6 PM)
At The Little Theatre, Theatre 1
240 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
Accessibility: This film is presented with open captions. ASL interpretation will be provided for opening remarks and post-screening panel discussion. For more information on parking and accessibility, please visit https://thelittle.org/accessibility/.
Free & registration is required
Panel Discussion:
Moderator:
Racquel Stephen is WXXI’s health, equity and community reporter and producer. She joined the WXXI newsroom in 2021. Racquel’s multifaceted radio background includes reporting for WAER in Syracuse and as a host for WLGZ-HD2 in Rochester. Racquel holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Rochester and a master’s degree in broadcasting and digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Racquel’s interest in health reporting stems from navigating through the developmental disabilities of her toddler son, and witnessing inequities within the health care system.
Panelists:
Nickesia S. Gordon, PhD, is a Fulbright Scholar and Associate Professor in the School of Communication at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on the intersections of communication, gender, Black identities and nationality, with emphasis on the Caribbean. Additionally, her research agenda explores communication for social change, examining how the Communication curriculum in higher education can utilize experiential learning practices to encourage civic/community engagement among college students.
Her work has been recognized via multiple awards, including the Patty Sotirin Women & Language Award, the Dr. Molefi K. Asante Award from the National Communication Association’s African American Communication and Culture Division, and the Marsha Houston Award for Outstanding Scholarship from the National Communication Association.
Dr. Gordon earned her doctoral degree in Communication and Culture from Howard University, in Washington DC, a master’s degree in English literature from Clark University, Worcester Massachusetts, and a BA in Literatures in English from the University of the West Indies, Kingston Jamaica.
Kim Smith: Political Director for VOCAL-US (Voices of Community Activists and Leaders), and Rochester WFP (Working Families Party) Chapter, and Past Rochester City Council Member At Large elected in 2020. VOCAL works directly with impacted individuals and elected officials to create policies that will end HIV, Homelessness, The Overdose Crisis and Mass incarceration.
With a Master’s of Public Administration from SUNY Brockport, Kim led a 25-year-long career in public service with the Monroe County Department of Public Health. Before her departure, Kim worked with the County’s Disease Control Unit where she created and managed Monroe County Partnering to end the Epidemic, a coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS who work alongside clinical and non-clinical organizations to strengthen access to HIV/AIDS care. Kim Smith is a City of Rochester native and a past City Council member elected in 2020. Her work on City Council prioritized community-building initiatives as she worked to forge relationships that lead to effective governing. As an At-Large member of City Council, Kim was the Liaison for the Police Accountability Board and the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative. She was a member of the Neighborhood and Business Development, Finance, and Public Safety Committees. Kim also served on the Rochester Housing Task Force and led the 3x3x3 Committee, comprising three City Councilmembers, three Monroe County Legislators and three RCSD School Board Commissioners.
Professor Timothy Kneeland: Dr. Timothy W. Kneeland is Professor of History and Politics at Nazareth University in Rochester, New York. Dr. Kneeland has published extensively on US politics and policy. His most recent publication is “Get the Lead Out: Rochester, Black Resistance, and the Struggle to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, 1967-1974,” New York History 2025.
Rose Bonnick, Monroe County Legislature Representing the 27th District (Rochester & Gates) & Community Coordinator at NYS Senate for Rep. Jeremy Cooney
