Where in North America was slavery first made legal?
Massachusetts is the first colony to legalize the institution of slavery, in 1641; Connecticut is the second. And the North had economic dependency on slavery all the way up to 1859. What was the greatest challenge of the project? It was a very difficult process because, as black and white filmmakers sitting around the table working out issues about the history, we were also revealing so much about ourselves and our notions about race. Did immersing yourself in the subject exact an emotional toll? When I confronted the history in a physical way, I was most disturbed. I traveled to Ghana to do the filming about the slave trade in Africa, and to the coastal forts where slaves were stored until they were boarded on ships. Many of the dungeons are built deep below the surface of the water, and I didn’t expect the experience I had with them. They’re very cold and clammy; there’s a smell unlike anything you’ve smelled before. I knew it would be very emotional, but I went twice, so when I wen
