Screening: Unmasking of COVID-19 in Albany, Georgia (@ Howard University)

What happens when a community's trust in public health is shattered overnight?

Rarely do communities come together after tragedy to collectively heal, make sense of loss, and rebuild hope. Through the powerful gift of storytelling, Unmasking the Truth: The Impact of COVID-19 in Albany, GA does exactly that—bringing together voices from the hospital system, faith communities, affected families, public health leaders, and social justice advocates to illuminate one community's journey through the early days of the pandemic.

Albany, Georgia is a historically Black community celebrated by W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, it remains a beacon of what restorative care and community connectedness can achieve in our darkest moments. This is a story of resilience amid repeated crises, and of a community that refused to fracture.

Selected for the American Public Health Association (APHA) Film Festival, this film offers vital lessons for all of us working at the intersection of health equity, art and community well-being.

Join us for a private screening followed by a panel discussion featuring community members whose stories shaped this film.

Your presence matters. Your voice is valued.

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Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. The film screening will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. The panel discussion will start between 7-7:15 p.m.

Panelists include:

Dr. Daniel Simmons, Senior Pastor at Mt Zion Baptist Church

Dr. Dianna Grant, Chief Medical Officer, Phoebe Putney Health System

Jacqueline Jenkins, Director, Epidemiology and Health Promotion (Albany, Ga, Georgia Department of Public Health)

Lita Nichols, Albany resident

Warren Burke, Film Executive Producer

Dr. Monica Ponder, Assistant Professor, Health Communication & Culture, Howard University

Moderator - Dr. Sheila Brooks, CHSOC alumna and Founder, President and CEO of SRB Communications. SRB Communications was the lead communications firm for the funded project (Project REFOCUS - Racial Ethnic Framing for Community-Informed and Unifying Surveillance)

Info: Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

Info: Panelists include: Dr. Sheila Brooks, Founder, president and CEO of the Washington, DC–based advertising and marketing communications agency SRB Communications; Dr. Daniel Simmons, Senior Pastor at Mt Zion Baptist Church; Dr. Dianna Grant, Dr. Dianna Grant served as Chief Medical Officer, Phoebe Putney Health System; Jacqueline Jenkins, Director, Epidemiology and Health Promotion (Albany, Ga, Georgia Department of Public Health); Lita Nichols, Albany resident; and Warren Burke, Film Executive Producer.

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Host or Publisher Dr. Monica Ponder