This film is followed by a prerecorded Q&A.

How do you define socialism? For Americans, the mere mention of the word is enough to send many either scurrying from the conversation, or baring their teeth in distrust. For those willing to talk about it, opinions range from socialism as the ultimate expression of democracy to the end of society as we know it. Filmmaker Yael Bridge’s heady mix of history, cautionary tale and optimistic road map takes us on a tour of American socialism from early idealistic communes in Wisconsin to the work of a current Virginia legislator (and part-time Lyft driver)—the lone representative of his ideology in his state congress. In addition to some of the intellectual Left’s major stars (Cornel West, Naomi Klein, Eric Foner), we hear from regular folks, including an Oklahoma school teacher turning “radical” before our eyes. Energetically packed with compelling evidence and insightful observations, The Big Scary “S” Word is edu-tainment for the political soul. -TA

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