SCI Hosts Screening and Discussion of Traces of the Trade

Social Capital Inc. (SCI), St. John's Baptist Church and Woburn Memorial High School hosted SCI Board Chair Dain and Constance Perry for a screening and community discussion of Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North the evening of Thursday, November 13th.  Due to the efforts of SCI, St. John's Baptist and WMHS and Outreach Partners Primary Source and The Winchester Multicultural network many Greater Woburn area residents turned out for this important evening of reflection and discussion despite inclement weather and a critical Patriots game.  Traces of the Trade, a Sundance film festival entrant which follows the DeWolfe/Perry family's journey into their family's role in the slave trade, proved to be a thought-provoking film which encouraged deep discussion about the way in which the legacy of slavery still affects our community and our nation. 

SCI AmeriCorps Member Morgan Randall echoed the sentiment of many in the crowd in saying that, "Traces seemed to get people to open their eyes to something most Americans would want to forget, and brought about conversation about racial issues facing the nation today. I heard many people walking out the auditorium doors engaged in serious discussion about what they had just seen and heard." 

Dain and Constance Perry were able to lead a fruitful discussion about a topic, issues of race, that typically creates deep divisions within communities.  Thanks to the openess of community members and skilled facilitation, the evening become one about hope rather than division.  Members of the community acknowledged the troubled past of race in this country while simultaneously looking forward in a substantive and meaningful way.  The evening served as a way to further SCI's mission of connecting diverse citizens in order to build a stronger community.  The event will hopefully serve as a kickoff to continued discussion about the ways in which citizens can unite to improve their communities.