URU, The Right To Be, Inc. Presents
THE DEADLIEST DISEASE IN AMERICA
A documentary film by Crystal R. Emery
Virtual Film Screening Event
Making an Appeal for Equity in Access During a COVID-19 Pandemic
Followed by Live Conversations on Initiative for Change
Film Introduction by Broadcast Journalist Soledad O’Brien
Panel Moderator Dr. Shirley Malcom, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Panelists: Camara Jones, Thomas LaVeist, Ana Oliveira, Marc Morial and Crystal R. Emery
Intended to reduce systemic negligence creating barriers of access to health care, Producer/ Director NYWIFT Member Crystal R. Emery will livestream her documentary film, The Deadliest Disease in America on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 7PM ET on Streamyard, YouTube and Facebook Live – with a special film introduction by Broadcast Journalist Soledad O’Brien. The livestream will be followed by an interactive forum by policymakers, activists and medical professionals, addressing the topic of developing a strategy for combating the systemic racism that persists in the fabric of American society, which has been recently been illuminated by the disproportionate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on people of color.
“The multitude of inequities in our health care is an imbalance our society cannot sustain during these trying times,” explains filmmaker Crystal R. Emery.
The 55-minute film will be followed by a panel discussion with: Moderator Shirley Malcom,
Senior Advisor, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Crystal R. Emery, Founder and CEO of URU, The Right to Be, Inc., Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, Evelyn Green Davis Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University, Dr. Thomas A. LaVeist, Dean of the School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization, and Dr. Ana Oliveira, President & CEO of New York Women’s Foundation.
The Deadliest Disease in America follows four individuals, including the filmmaker, whose personal stories add to the national debate on our country’s healthcare crisis. Emery shares her own experience as an African-American encountering racism while navigating the healthcare system. Emery, whose arms and legs are paralyzed as a result of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a form of Muscular Dystrophy, hopes that sharing these stories will stimulate conversations that move individuals to action. The film also focuses on three organizations, from New England to Texas, whose innovative strategies help mitigate the crisis.
Dr. Forrester Lee, Associate Dean of the Yale Medical School says, “With an astonishing capacity to see, understand and represent truth, Crystal Emery confronts racism in our healthcare system. In producing the Deadliest Disease in America, she gives voice to events and stories that for too long have been ignored and devalued.”
“The ultimate goal of this film is to illuminate disparate treatment based on racial, economic and ethnic differences in order to help achieve a healthcare system that serves all Americans equally,” says Crystal R. Emery.
“Her film forces medical practitioners to consider how racism has infected the body of medical practice. We are invited to heal ourselves through contemplation, dialogue and action. This film is a brave and matchless work that will find a receptive audience everywhere.”
— Dr. Forrester Lee, MD., Yale School of Medicine
“…a daring and insightful film . . . challenges all of us to demand equal treatment of everyone in the American healthcare system.” – Filmmaker, Bill Duke
“Crystal Emery, the dynamic, determined, and passionate Founder and CEO of URU The Right to Be, Inc., is at the forefront of bringing new and innovative ideas to combat the inequities of systemic racism.”
– Victor Dzau, M.D., President of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine
Virtual Film Screening Event:
Via StreamYard, YouTube, Facebook Live
7:00PM ET- Introduction by Soledad O’Brien
7:10PM ET – Film Screening: Deadliest Disease in America
8:05PM ET – Panel discussion
Shirley Malcom, Ph.D (Moderator)— Senior Advisor, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Crystal R. Emery, Ph.D – Founder and CEO of URU, The Right to Be Inc.
Camara Jones, MD, MPH, Ph.D—Evelyn Green Davis Fellow, Radcliffe
Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University
Thomas LaVeist, Ph.D—Dean, School of Public Health &
Tropical Medicine at Tulane University
Marc Morial, JD—President and CEO of the National Urban League
Ana Oliveira, Ph.D—President and CEO of the New York Women’s Foundation
The Deadliest Disease in America is produced by URU, The Right to Be, Inc., a nonprofit organization that uses multimedia solutions at the intersection of the arts, humanities, science, and technology to move all stakeholders toward a more equitable and humane world.
For more information about The Deadliest Disease in America, please visit URU’s website at www.urutherighttobe.org.
Official Trailer: https://vimeo.com/173557614
To RSVP for the event, please register at Eventbrite
About Crystal R. Emery p.g.a.
Crystal R. Emery is a dynamic producer, author and filmmaker known for producing socially-conscious storytelling on a variety of platforms that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit, a cause close to her heart as a quadriplegic who works to ensure that physical limitations don’t define her potential. She is also the founder and CEO of URU The Right To Be, Inc., a non-profit content production company that tackles social issues via film, theater, publishing, educational media and other arts-based initiatives. She is a member of the Producers’ Guild of America, New York Women in Film and Television and an American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN ambassador.
About URU THE RIGHT TO BE
The mission of URU is to foster communication and understanding among diverse people by utilizing, discovering and applying tangible multimedia solutions at the intersection of the arts, humanities, science and technology. Our goal is to move all stakeholders toward a more equitable and humane world.
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Ariana Marie Luque
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ariana Marie Luque! Ariana is an award-winning director/cinematographer from The Bronx, NY. She is a NYU Tisch alum, having graduated with a Bachelor's in Film/TV production. Her work is often rooted from her Latin background, prioritizing culture and interpersonal relationships in her work. Her goal is to amplify stories from underrepresented communities and diversify the entertainment industry in front and behind the camera. She has gained international experience working in Iceland, Italy, and Puerto Rico, and has collaborated with major studios including Amazon Prime, Walt Disney, and Paramount under production roles. Most recently, she completed a film fellowship at the Bronx Documentary Center and is currently developing a short narrative film and is in production on two short documentaries. In our interview, Ariana discusses her background, what she’s learned from working in the industry, and the importance of film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Alice McFaul
Welcome to NYWIFT, Alice McFaul! Alice is a producer, assistant director, and musician based between New York and Ireland, working in feature documentaries and unscripted television. Her work includes some of Netflix’s biggest true crime feature docs as a drama producer, and Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy and Tucci in Italy shows as assistant director. Alice is also a professional harpist and singer, playing since the age of three in Northern Ireland. In our interview, Alice tells us more about her experience working across these platforms, and how these are shaping her future goals.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Isabella Medina Sarria
Welcome to NYWIFT, Isabella Medina Sarria! Isabella is a New York–based film producer originally from Colombia, known for developing and producing internationally-recognized projects. Her award-winning short films include Delusion, which won at the Berlin Indie Film Festival and earned recognition at the LA Indie Film Festival and New York Shorts International Film Festival. She has expanded into feature films, working on Up in the Hills (starring Dylan Walsh and Paris Berelc), Tox (starring Margaret Colin), and Higher Love (starring Dennis Haysbert and Joe Pantoliano), which wrapped production in August 2025. Her work is driven by a strong creative vision, championing well-represented female characters and immigrant stories.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Marianna Olinger
Welcome to NYWIFT, Marianna Olinger! Marianna is an artist, producer, strategist, and visionary who evaluates media projects for their potential impact on society and social change. Marianna worked as lead impact producer for two Oscar-shortlisted documentaries, including The Territory (Sundance, Peabody, Emmy winner). As co-director at Earth Alliance, Marianna proclaims: ‘I am nature, and nature is in me.’ In our interview, she reflects on the pilot initiative, Indigenous Impact Alliance, through Doc Society's Climate Story Unit, and her work as co-producer of the short documentary Sankofa. Read on to learn about the work Marianna’s most excited to bring to life next.
READ MORE
Comments are closed