National and International Roundtable For 12/5/2012

This week’s guest will discuss the filming and impact of one of the most historical films about slavery ever.

 

James Dewolf Perry, , was nominated for an Emmy award for his role as the principal historical consultant for Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, a 2008 PBS documentary about the legacy of the northern U.S. role in slavery and the slave trade. James also appears throughout the film, as a descendant of U.S. senator James DeWolf of Bristol, R.I. (1764-1837), the leading slave trader in U.S. history.

 

Katrina Browne, Ideas and External Affairs Director, was the producer/director of Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, a first-person documentary film about her slave-trading ancestors from Rhode Island, the hidden history of New England’s complicity in slavery, and questions of repair and reconciliation today. With Katrina’s leadership over the course of nine years, over 500 people and institutions were involved in the making of the film and the dialogue process surrounding it. While it was still in rough-cut form, the film contributed to the Episcopal Church’s decision to atone for its role in slavery. Traces of the Trade premiered in 2008 at the Sundance Film Festival, and aired on PBS later that year, reaching over 1.5 million Americans