This timeframe in American history lends itself to the promise of restructuring and strengthening the American consciousness. As descendants of pivotal inflection points of Emancipation, the present and future state of our collective belonging is deeply rooted in the appreciation of our history, and our path to future contributions. As filmmakers who are also advocates for truth and comprehensive discovery, we should all recognize the importance of accurate storytelling to help educate and heighten awareness of these important and often overlooked stories. When crafted with care, documentary filmmaking can be such a particularly useful tool for providing unity through discovery and dialogue.

Join us as this PBS documentary recounts gripping ancestral stories that have been passed down to descendants of enslavement and self-emancipation during the early days of the Civil War. Our film follows these families as they openly share first-hand accounts of how their forefathers found refuge in being some of the first Contrabands at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. Homage is paid to the first three Contrabands, Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory and James Townsend, who paved the way with the help of key historical figures, including Fort Monroe’s General Benjamin F. Butler.