Being Black in America
We are overwhelmed to share that our film has been acquired by the Pittsburg Teen Film program and is being screened at events the help youth learn the power of their own voice in storytelling.
This film is a rendition of Lincoln Wilmore's poem called "Being Black in America". We hear heartfelt emotions from Lincoln and deep reflections on modern-day injustices directly affecting POC. Directed by Derek Johnson (https://www.kaifilms.com/) and Ali Scattergood. (https://www.oaklightfilms.com/) Directors statement; I live in a south Seattle neighborhood called Rainer Beach. I met Larry and Cathie Wilmore here a few years ago while working on some community-based events where I learned about their mentor-ship group called Fathers and Sons Together or FAST. Their work inside this community continues to be monumental and highly transformative. Cathie shared her son Lincoln's poem with me and asked if we could make a video. Immediately after my first read, I felt the tears well up. The very first line of the poem recognizes prejudice that happens in our daily lives. This is a reminder that the world we live in is still filled with unnecessary expressions of injustice. Lincoln was thirteen when he wrote this piece. Ali Scattergood and I teamed up to film the project. We took some time to record and create this film as we wanted to have the most authentic voice tell this story. We worked carefully with Lincoln and his family to create this iconic film and share his voice and his message. We hope you will share it.