Race Reels

RACE REELS is sponsored by the BEU and PTO: Huge thanks for their support in this important equity work!

RACE REELS is a program created by Abby Erdmann, recipient of the 2011 Olmstead Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching awarded by Williams College. The seed for this project came from Nik Walker, a Brookline High School alum, who with five senior friends made "Hoodwinked", a documentary about race that raised issues and sparked discussions in assemblies and classes. This powerful short film helped bring attention to issues like interracial dating, the N word, and segregation in the high school. When Abby won the Olmstead Prize, she decided to use the grant money to develop a program that would keep this conversation going. She worked with Krissie Jankowski, a teacher of documentary filmmaking, and Dr. Chris Vick, head of African American Scholars, to design a program that would spark discussion and dialogue about race.