MACON, Ga. — Mercer University’s King Center for Southern Studies will launch a new documentary series on the American South on Friday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m., with a screening and filmmaker Q&A of “Acts of Reparation.” The screening will be followed by a free Family History Day on Saturday, Sept. 20.
“Acts of Reparation” follows the family stories of the two filmmakers — one Black, one white — who travel south to their ancestral lands in Penfield and Monroe, Louisiana, to explore what reparations mean to each of them. From kitchen tables to porches, lost cemeteries to discovered diaries, their journeys lead to unexpected opportunities that transform their friendship, families and communities. Together they reclaim and reckon with their roots, discovering that small acts can lead to big change.
“The King Center is proud to launch a new project that examines the American South through documentary filmmaking,” said Director of Spencer B. King, Jr. Center for Southern Studies Dr. Douglas E. Thompson. “The award-winning filmmakers of ‘Acts of Reparation’ have plumbed the deep nuances of racism in American history, but they turn to their own families’ stories to ask bigger questions about what racial reconciliation might look like.”
The free Family History Day, in partnership with the Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History room, will be held Saturday, Sept. 20. The goal of Family History Day is to create a meaningful space for participants to explore ancestral research, preservation practices and the power of shared stories in the context of healing and historical repair. The day’s events include an introduction to the practices and tools to help begin Black history family research, learning how to protect and preserve treasured family photos, documents, and keepsakes, a family tree-building workshop, a deeper look at the Penfield Cemetery, and a family sharing circle.
EVENT DETAILS:
“Acts of Reparation” screening and filmmaker Q&A
Sept. 19, 7 p.m.
The Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Macon
Reserve free tickets for the screening here.
Watch the film trailer here.
Family History Day
Saturday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Douglass Theatre Annex, 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Macon
Free event. No tickets needed
View full schedule here.
About the Spencer B. King Jr. Center for Southern Studies
The Spencer B. King Jr. Center for Southern Studies fosters critical discussions about the many meanings of the South. As the only center for Southern studies in the United States dedicated to the education and enrichment of undergraduate students, the Center’s primary purpose is to examine the region’s complex history and culture through courses, conversations and events that are open, honest and accessible. In addition to private gifts from donors, the Center is supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant.
