September 14, 2025
The docuseries features one Black and one white filmmaker as they travel back to the American South.
The King Center for Southern Studies at Mercer University has a new documentary on pursuing reparations within the American South.
The Macon, Georgia-based school will host a screening of “Acts of Reparation,” Sept. 19. The docuseries centers on two white and Black filmmakers. The protagonists travel back to the ancestral grounds of Penfield and Monroe, Louisiana, to uncover their story with reparations.
The docuseries will not only feature the filmmakers’ family histories, but also the communities and artifacts that make up these lands. The King Center expressed its pride in premiering the feature, especially as it deals with the ongoing fight for reparations.
“The King Center is proud to launch a new project that examines the American South through documentary filmmaking,” said Director of Spencer B. King, Jr. Center for Southern Studies Dr. Douglas E. Thompson. “The award-winning filmmakers of ‘Acts of Reparation’ have plumbed the deep nuances of racism in American history, but they turn to their own families’ stories to ask bigger questions about what racial reconciliation might look like.”
The film will premiere at the Douglass Theatre, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. “Acts of Reparation” does a deep dive into the true cost of freedom and how to achieve a more equal American society, sparking conversations in a current political climate that shies away from such discussions.
In celebration of the launch premiere, a free Family History Day will take place Sept. 20. In partnership with the Washington Memorial Library’s Genealogy & History room, it will provide a “meaningful space” for families, with activities such as ancestral research and preservation practices for one’s ancestral history.
Furthermore, participants will gain insight into how to conduct research on Black history within their families, including the preservation of documents, photographs, and other memorabilia. They will also engage in a family tree-building workshop while also gaining further knowledge of the Penfield Cemetery.
The weekend will champion racial healing and Black familial upliftment as the Macon community comes together for this social project. Tickets to the screening are now available, with the Family History section requiring no reservation.
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