Third Thursdays for Housing Justice – “The Pruitt-Igoe Myth”
Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | East Side Freedom Library
As part of our “Reel Stories: Housing Justice in Film” series with Trilingua Cinema, we will be holding a screening and discussion of The Pruitt-Igoe Myth, a documentary examining the rise and fall of the Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex in St. Louis and the larger forces that shaped its story.
Once celebrated as a model for modern public housing, Pruitt-Igoe was demolished less than twenty years after it opened and became a national symbol of so-called “failed” public housing. But the film asks us to look beyond the buildings themselves and toward the racism, segregation, disinvestment, and public policy decisions that shaped the lives of the people who lived there. Join us for a discussion afterward about what Pruitt-Igoe can teach us about housing justice, displacement, and the ways communities are often blamed for systems that failed them.
The term, “Public Housing,” conjures many different images for people. Many people associate public housing with rundown properties that are cold and uninviting. This was the reputation the Pruitt-Igoe property is St Louis. However, when examined more closely the story is far more complicated. Join us and public housing residents from the Twin Cities to talk about what public housing really means and how we can change the narrative for the better.
We’d love to know you’re coming: register here if you’re comfortable doing so.
It’s never required, and walk-ins are always welcome.
Third Thursdays with the Housing Justice Program
What is the Housing Justice Program?
The Housing Justice Program grew out of East Side Housing Justice, a coalition that began in 2019 that drove discussion around housing issues. We are continuing that work by coalition building and creating events that help us rethink common narratives around housing
What are Third Thursdays?
As part of our Housing Justice Program, we are holding events on Third Thursdays to talk about housing in a variety of ways, like documentary screenings and talks with local activists! We hope to spark invigorating discussion and build quality connections amongst our community.
Why you should come!
Come through to learn and meet others who care about housing! We want people to carry lessons from these events beyond our four walls and make connections. Here at ESFL, we believe solidarity is the way forward, so come through, make friends, and start building power for change!
We’d love to know you’re coming: register here if you’re comfortable doing so.
It’s never required, and walk-ins are always welcome.
Want to learn more? Reach out to the Housing Justice team!
lucid@eastsidefreedomlibrary.org
dakota@eastsidefreedomlibrary.org
