Join NC State University Libraries for a documentary film screening created as part of Margaret E. Baker’s dissertation. A question and answer session with Baker, a photographer, filmmaker, educator and content creator, will follow the screening of the 45-minute film.

Seeing the South: Racism, Reclamation and Memory Making in the Upstate is a thought-provoking documentary that explores the heart of the contrasts that define southern communities. Union County, located in the heart of South Carolina’s Upstate region, appears to offer a rural haven where history, natural beauty and southern charm intertwine. With a downtown awash in antebellum charm and a deep southern cultural heritage that feels almost cinematic in nature, Union County shares the same profound burden carried by all of Southern American society: a past deeply divided by race and a community that has shouldered the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow and institutionalized racism.

Through compelling storytelling and complex visuals, Seeing the South encapsulates the resilience, hopes and aspirations of Union County's residents. Highlighting the transformative power of unity and understanding, this work paints a vivid portrait of a community striving to overcome its painful past while cherishing its rich heritage. With its enchanting landscape, historic sites and small-town charm, the film offers a glimpse into the beauty and complexities of southern life, both past and present.