Acts of Reparation - Screening & Family History Weekend - Macon, GA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

FREE - documentary screening & Filmmaker Q&A

Friday, September 19, 7pm @ The Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Macon, GA

@ The Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Macon, GA

Presented by Spencer B. King, Jr. Center for Southern Studies, Mercer University

Join us for a post-screening discussion with co-directors Selina Lewis Davidson and Macky Alston. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Douglas E. Thompson, director of the Spencer B. King, Jr. Center for Southern Studies at Mercer University.

Film synopsis: Two friends – Selina Lewis Davidson & Macky Alston -- one Black, one white – travel South to their ancestral lands to explore what reparations means to 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.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

FREE - Pink House Pop Up FAMILY HISTORY DAY

Sat., September 20, 9am - 6pm (no tickets needed, just come)

@ The Douglass Theatre Annex, 355 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Macon, GA

Presented by Spencer B. King, Jr. Center for Southern Studies, Mercer University

In Partnership with Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History

We’ve found that the film serves as a powerful catalyst for community gathering and often inspires audiences to begin exploring their own family histories.

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.

Our guest presenters will provide participants with accessible starting points for their research and introduce them to the local resources available to support that journey.

DISCOVER, PRESERVE AND SHARE your family histories and stories

The day will be facilitated by by Dr. Shakita Brooks Jones, Poli-Gram: Policies of Opportunity

9:00am - 10:00 CHECK IN & COFFEE @ The Douglass Theatre Annex, Macon, GA

10:00 - GENEALOGY 101 - An introduction to the practices and tools that will help you begin your Black history family research. Led by Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History Staff

11:00 - PRESERVATION 101 - Learn how to protect and preserve your treasured family photos, documents, and keepsakes at home—and explore local options for public archiving and long-term care. Led by Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History Staff

12:00 - FAMILY TREE BUILDING WORKSHOP - Guided instruction to begin to fill in your family tree on paper. Led by Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History Staff

1:00 - 2:00 - LIGHT LUNCH PROVIDED

2:00 - A DEEPER LOOK AT THE PENFIELD, GA CEMETERY - A conversation with James and Michael McWhorter, descendants of those buried in the Black Penfield Cemetery, and Mamie Hillman, Greene County African American Museum - the cemetery’s steward — moderated by Macky Alston, a descendant of those buried in the white Penfield Cemetery.

3:00 - FAMILY STORY SHARING CIRCLE - A gathering and space for all to share and be in conversation. BRING A PHOTO of a special ANCESTOR OR ELDER and share a story about them. Facilitated by Dr. Shakita Brooks Jones.

4:00 - CIRCLE OF REPAIR - What does reparations, repair and healing look like to you? -. A Presentation by Dr. Shakita Brooks Jones, Poli-Gram: Policies of Opportunity & gathering space for all to share and be in conversation.

5:30 - VISIT

6:00 - CLOSE

Info: An introduction to the practices and tools that will help you begin your Black history family research. Led by Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History Staff.

Info: Learn how to protect and preserve your treasured family photos, documents, and keepsakes at home—and explore local options for public archiving and long-term care. Led by Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History Staff

Info: Guided instruction to begin to fill in your family tree on paper. Led by Washington Memorial Library, Genealogy & History Staff,

Info: A conversation with James and Michael McWhorter, descendants of those buried in the Black Penfield Cemetery, and Mamie Hillman, Greene County African American Museum - the cemetery’s steward — moderated by Macky Alston, a descendant of those buried in the white Penfield Cemetery.

Info: A gathering and space for all to share and be in conversation. BRING A PHOTO of a special ANCESTOR OR ELDER and share a story about them. Facilitated by Dr. Shakita Brooks Jones

Info: What does reparations, repair and healing look like to you? -. A Presentation by Dr. Shakita Brooks Jones, Poli-Gram: Policies of Opportunity & gathering space for all to share and be in conversation.

Host or Publisher Acts of Reparation