Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008 at 10PM, travel back in history with first-time filmmaker Katrina Browne, who makes a troubling discovery — her New England ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. She and nine fellow descendants set off to retrace the Triangle Trade: from their old hometown in Rhode Island to slave forts in Ghana to sugar plantation ruins in Cuba. Step by step, they uncover the vast extent of Northern complicity in slavery while also stumbling through the minefield of contemporary race relations. In this bicentennial year of the U.S. abolition of the slave trade, “Traces of the Trade” offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide. An official selection of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
This month, Thirteen’s Edonline offer two lesson plans that explore the themes and issues presented in our Broadcast show P.O.V. which captivates TRACES OF THE TRADE. The lesson plan Rationalizing Race builds awareness among students of the subjective nature of race classification. The additional lesson plan Criminal or Hero encourages students to explore the role played by perspective in evaluating American slavery. The program and lesson plans make use of lesser known historical details to examine slavery in new ways.
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A stunning piece of personal journalism. The program left me with a new perspective on my relationships with African Americans. I, like most white people, had never given more than a superficial thought to the history of slavery in the U.S. Now, I can never go back to that simplistic view.
Inertia is powerful. I don’t know what will change in my life. But there will be change, I am sure.
One of the things I am moved to do is to recommend that my brother view your program when it is repeated this weekend. He is partially responsible for diversity training at his company, and I think your program will contribute to his awareness, and, hopefully, to expanding the awareness of others where he works. (I’m retired, but used to work at the same company he’s at.)
Bravo.
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