"Below Baldwin: Viewing and Discussion"

As a part of our annual tradition, we will view the documentary "Below Baldwin: How an Expansion Project Unearthed a University ’ s Legacy of Slavery", followed by a discussion with community organizer Imani Scott Blackwell, led by Dr. Sarah Shannon and Dr. Vanessa Gonlin.

On November 17, 2015, construction on Baldwin Hall on the University of Georgia campus came to a halt when workers uncovered human remains on the site. DNA tests revealed what many local residents already knew to be true: these were the remains of formerly enslaved people. This uncovering and the events that followed have forced the often-omitted histories of slavery and segregation to rise to the surface, both at the University of Georgia and in Athens. “Below Baldwin” featuring Fred Smith, Linda Davis, Alvin Sheats, Linda Lloyd, Mariah Parker, Broderick Flanigan, Imani Scott Blackwell, and others, chronicles the series of events between November 2015 and December 2019. But more than that - this documentary showcases a community’ s persistent efforts to connect to its past and to win recognition and redress – for both past and present injustices.

TRIGGER WARNING: SLAVERY, HUMAN REMAINS, ANTI-BLACK DISCRIMINATION