Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories

Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories is a feature documentary that explores how racial categories were created in the United States and their lasting consequences. The film follows sociologist Joan Ferrante's efforts to find unique ways of mourning the biological, family, romantic, and other bonds severed by this legally imposed system. Ferrante issued a call to students majoring in the creative and performing arts at Northern Kentucky University to become part of a creative team dedicated to realizing her vision. The film, narrated by the students, gives special attention to the laws enacted between 17th century Virginia and the Jim Crow era that made these categories matter. It features student choreography, music, sculpture, visual art, dramatic reenactments, poetry and spoken word pieces- all created with the aim of moving audiences to take notice and mourn how Americans were divided into categories we call races.