On Sunday, August 8, Sag Harbor Cinema (SHC)  launched its “Projections” educational initiative to a sold out audience of almost 100 people in the Rosenberg Workspace.  SHC “Projections” aims to activate the Rosenberg Workspace through collaborations with regional not-for-profit groups in order to amplify voices, begin conversations and build audiences through the use of the Cinema’s facility, network and digital presence.

The discussion, called “Forgetting To Remember: Sag Harbor’s Role In Slavery and the Path to Reconciliation” was moderated by SHC board member Dr. Jennifer L. Morgan. It featured Plain Sight Project Co-Founders and Directors Donnamarie Barnes, curator and archivist of Shelter Island’s Sylvester Manor,  and David Rattray, editor of the East Hampton Star, who spoke on a range of topics and fielded questions from a riveted, often profoundly emotional audience for almost 90 minutes. 

The Plain Sight Project’s mission is to comprehensively identify enslaved persons and free blacks from the 1600s to the mid 1800s; locate and preserve burial grounds, habitations and work sights on the East End of Long Island; and produce a template for other communities to seek and restore forgotten stories to their essential place in American history.  

As the evidence of Plain Sight Project’s discoveries of enslaved workers in Sag Harbor and the town’s role in slavery had never been unearthed, the discussion generated incredible enthusiasm and acclaim among the audience. Discussion of the topic continued for hours in The Green Room bar and Francois Trauffaut Terrace, where all attendees called it one of the most important discussions they have heard in Sag Harbor in ages. 

A recording of the discussion is available on our Youtube Channel