Dear Valued Community Organization,
The “Juneteenth Reckoning With Slavery: MN African American History” film, produced by OMG Studios and MN Humanities Center, takes you on a journey to Africa, where a delegation from Saint Paul, MN united with the Akwamu tribe, in the Akwamu traditional area in Ghana, West Africa, to reconcile with the wretched global system of slavery that extracted free labor out of captured human bodies. This complex system included sub-systems to move captives from all regions of Africa’s interior to the coastal markets and all destination points where captives were traded.
During this symbolic gathering, a proclamation was presented to King Odeneho Kwafo Akoto, III from Mayor of Saint Paul Melvin Carter, in the presence of tribal leaders and in unity with the delegation from Saint Paul, MN, making a commitment to passing this truth to future generations to make certain history never repeats itself.
The journey confronting Minnesota’s African American History — based on scholar and professor Dr. Christopher Lehman’s book “Slavery’s Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State” — is told, where 15 – 30 enslaved captives at any given time, lived at Fort Snelling in the 1850s. The history of Dred and Harriet Scott’s fight for freedom was based on their enslavement at Fort Snelling, in Minnesota, a so-called FREE territory. The Supreme Court’s ruling that the Scotts were not citizens and therefore could not sue their enslavers, caused further divide between the North and the South sparking the Civil War.
Reckoning with slavery includes having tough conversations in society about this history with those who may not understand or agree with you. Let’s face the truth together in a respectful way and educate future generations on making sure this history never repeats itself. As “Sankofa” suggests “we have to go back and fetch it.” Well, we’ve done that in this film, now “Where Do We Go From Here?”
Please submit the screening request form to request a screening of the film at your organization or place of business, followed by a hosted discussion about the film that leads to a thoughtful conversation centered on “where we go from here.” Our events team member will contact you to review your request and to schedule your screening.
If you have any questions, please email Monique Linder at: monique@omgmediasolutions.com or call OMG Studios at: 612-238-5300. You will receive a response to your request within 48 hours.