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". Following the film, there will be a discussion with
community organizer Imani Scott Blackwell led by 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
Below Baldwin- Film Screening and Discussion
MLC 214
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