The New Jersey State Library is hosting a free film screening and discussion panel in celebration of Black History Month
The New Jersey State Library “NJSL Presents” is hosting a free film screening and discussion panel in celebration of Black History Month! Details are as follows:
Title: The Price of Silence – The Forgotten Story of New Jersey’s Enslaved People
Date & Time: Saturday, February 21st, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: NJ State Museum Auditorium, 205 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08608
Cost: Free, Registration required
Description: Please join the New Jersey State Library in celebrating Black History Month on Saturday, February 21st, 2026 for a screening of the 3-part, New York Emmy Award-nominated PBS documentary “The Price of Silence” from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at the NJ State Museum Auditorium in Trenton, NJ.
Part one of the documentary, “The Forgotten Story of New Jersey’s Enslaved People” begins the series with the stunning fact that by the time New Jersey started the slow process of abolishing slavery in 1804, the state had 12,000 men, women, and children in bondage. The film reveals that New Jersey depended profoundly on enslaved people to drive agricultural and economic growth, was sympathetic to the South, and was the last of the Northeastern states to eliminate this heinous practice.
Part two, “The Lasting Impact of Slavery in New Jersey,” continues with New Jersey’s history of bondage and expounds on the fact that the African American community is still feeling the effects of slavery today due to disparities with the White community in median income, criminal justice, and healthcare.
Part three, “The Search for Freedom in New Jersey,” examines the Black community’s Great Migration from the Jim Crow South to Newark, New Jersey, during the early years of the 20th Century and tells the story through the eyes of descendants of individuals who made the Great Migration North and found life here to be a far cry from what they had hoped for. By telling these fascinating stories through the eyes of descendants of slavery and individuals who have lived through the Great Migration and the heartbreaking events depicted in the films, the audience will most certainly be captivated and inspired to learn more.
Upon conclusion of the screening, there will be a panel discussion with producer Ridgeley Hutchinson and documentary contributors Dr. Linda J. Caldwell Epps, Beverly Mills, Toni Hendrix, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, and Dr. Damali Campbell-Oparaji.
The event is FREE and will take place in-person at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium. Registration is encouraged as space is limited.
Click here to learn more and register – https://www.njstatelib.org/the-price-of-silence-the-forgotten-story-of-new-jerseys-enslaved-people/
