The screening takes place on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at Terrill Middle School, 1301 Terrill Road, Scotch Plains. The screening is free and open to the public. Please pre-register here. 

A panel discussion with writer and executive producer Ridgeley Hutchinson, featured historians Krystal Langford and Linda Caldwell Epps, and featured artist Malcolm Rolling will follow the screening. 

New Jersey, the Garden State, is known for its produce but not for the enslaved people who tilled the soil. In the documentary, descendants and historians tell their stories and explain why New Jersey was the last northern state to end the institution of slavery. 

The book “If These Stones Could Talk” by Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills was Ridgeley Hutchinson’s inspiration for making the film.    

“New Jersey is known as the Garden State,” said author Beverly Mills in the documentary. “We’re known for our blueberries. We’re known for our corn. We’re known for our peaches. But we’re not known for the slaves that were here tilling the soil. We’re not known for the whole history of slavery connected to New Jersey and how slavery was the underpinning of much of the wealth of New Jersey.” 

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools encourages everyone to pre-register and join in this important discussion.