In many Black traditional religious practices, ancestor reverence is common.

Thanking and remembering those who came before us is a key spiritual practice for many. We seek our ancestors for guidance and for answers when we are lost. For black queer folks, remembering our dead, our ancestors are also key to sustaining our life. We live to walk in the path of those before us, who despite everything showed up as they were. Inspired by the legacy of Sakia Gunn, a lesbian teen murdered in a hate crime in Newark, NJ in 2003, the To Build a Monument meditates on grief, death, queerness and ancestorhood. This film was made in honor of Sakia whose death opened a new chapter of queer activism in the city of Newark. The three Black queer individuals in the film reflect on the connections to their ancestors as well as ponder on the ways they are preparing for their own ancestorhood. Ultimately the film meditates on what comes after the death of a loved one and how do we choose to remember them.