The Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center and the Office of Diversity Program at SNHU partnered together to host a film screening of, “Shadows Fall North” on Tuesday, February 22. The documentary was shown at 7 p.m. in the Women’s Center.
Before the film, students were encouraged to help themselves to freshly made popcorn, bottled water and chips to enjoy throughout the event. In the hopes of sparking a discussion, students were encouraged to reflect on the film after the event.
The documentary “Shadows Fall North” focuses on black history within the New England area. Specifically, Portsmouth, N.H. has a deep history with African American slavery.
Slavery was not only present in the South, as areas such as Portsmouth provided acknowledgement to black history. According to the film, the lives and stories of African Americans were ignored for more than a decade. Only recently have communities payed respect to the voices that were silenced for so many years.
Monuments such as the Black Heritage Trail and the Harriet Wilson statue stand as physical representations of the role New Hampshire has played in slavery.
The documentary emphasized that history is not physically represented through these memorials, but that history is not forgotten.
The Director of Diversity Program, Kayla Page, said, “We are always looking for, here at the Office of Diversity Program, new and interesting ways to bring really cool information to students.” The film was intended to introduce aspects of history that are never really told about: stories and voices that have not yet been heard.
“It is also Back History Month, so [the film] lines up beautifully with our concept of wanting to put on people’s radar that there are a variety of history in the world that aren’t necessarily showcased in the same way. [“Shadows Fall North”] was an attempt to do that in a way that’s relevant to students,” said Page.
By showing more documentaries in the future, the Office of Diversity Program encourages SNHU students to come and reflect on prevalent issues around the New Hampshire area.
