How we memorialize our past tells us so much about our present. This show explores that through two films that complement each other nicely. Change the Name is a short documentary that looks at a Chicago park that was named after a slave holder until a teacher and her students diligently worked to rename it. CJ Hunt’s unforgettable feature film, The Neutral Ground, examines the removal of statues in New Orleans that honored Confederate generals and other people who upheld the pernicious slave state that existed there long ago. Hunt is a comedian so he approaches this fraught material with humor but also bravery as he goes to talk to people who believe that the Confederate South was well-intentioned and misunderstood. It is tricky ground to walk and while the title has its point, which you will find in the film, Hunt is far from neutral and really working to explain to us how complicated history can be.

Films: The Neutral Ground, Change the Name

Speakers: CJ Hunt; Cai Thomas, Bianca Jones