In recognition of Juneteenth, the University Libraries will be hosting an online screening of the short film, “Hidden in Full View”, and a discussion with the film’s producer and co-writer, Dr. Charles Chavis, Jr., Director of the John Mitchell, Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. Dr. Chavis is also the national co-chair of the US Movement for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (US TRHT). As part of its work, the US TRHT is calling for an Archive of Racial and Cultural Healing (ARCH), an effort supported by the Association of Research Libraries, of which the UNL Libraries is a member.

The screening and discussion will take place via Zoom, on Monday, June 20, from 9-10:30 am. Registration is required: https://unl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_69hHfkluQ2Oa8eOQEUye6w

The short documentary, Hidden in Full View, reconstructs the story of the lynching of 23-year-old Matthew Williams in Salisbury, Maryland. This film is the first in a series that follows the story of brave descendants and witnesses willing to use the truth to fuel restorative justice.

Chavis, Jr. has followed up the film with his book, “The Silent Shore: The Lynching of Matthew Williams and the Politics of Racism in the Free State” (John Hopkins University Press, 2022) where he draws on his discovery of previously unreleased documents to meticulously reconstruct the full story of Mr. Williams’s murder and the legacy of “modern-day lynching.”

The discussion will include the role of community archives and libraries in preserving local history and events and in advancing truth and racial healing.

For more information about the documentary, “Hidden from View,” visit: https://hiddeninfullviewseries.com/