Screening and Discussion of “The Cost of Inheritance”

Emmy nominee and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Yoruba Richen shares and discusses her one-hour documentary, “The Cost of Inheritance,” which follows the long journey of individuals and communities seeking to make reparations a reality on the personal, local, and national levels.

The decades-long debate surrounding reparations is fraught, mired in racial tension and the semantics of restorative justice. While the national conversation remains stalled due to legislative inaction, communities across the country examine their histories and take it upon themselves to arrange their own form of reparations. This detailed investigation of restitution presents accounts of everyday people confronting the past and exploring the possibilities of wealth transfer.

Combining personal stories, archival footage, scholarly analyses, and the viewpoints of a range of Americans, the hour-long film is a powerful reminder of our shared histories and intertwined legacies. The stories told provide a necessary pathway to engaging in honest conversation about our past, and move forward towards racial justice.

Following the film, CBH Chief Historian Dominique Jean-Louis leads a discussion with Richen and public historian Debbie-Ann Paige about the challenge of tracing family genealogies of descendants of the enslaved, and the role genealogy plays towards the end goal of repair. The conversation ties the film to CBH’s current exhibition, Trace/s which in part celebrates the family genealogy researchers who dedicate themselves to untangling the past, honoring ancestors, building community, and enriching our collective understanding of the present.