SUNDERLAND — To mark Juneteenth this week, the Sunderland Public Library and the Human Rights Task Force are inviting the public to a film screening and discussion exploring systemic inequities in the United States that have lingered from post-Civil War society to today.

The library and the Human Rights Task Force will be screening “The Cost of Inheritance,” a 2024 PBS documentary exploring the legacy of slavery, systemic inequities, racial conciliation and the topic of reparations. Following the hour-long film, there will be time for discussion and sharing thoughts or reflections. All members of the public are invited to the free event, which will be held Thursday, June 19, at 6 p.m. at the library, located at 20 School St.

Human Rights Task Force member Diane Mercomes, who is Black and whose great-grandfather was enslaved, said “The Cost of Inheritance” “really hit home” for her. She said the film is an opportunity for others to see things from her family’s perspective.

“This film resonates with me because it enables the majority population to see things from my point of view. Reparations today is a buzzword, and it conjures up strong feelings, but the key to understanding reparations is to realize that the root of the word is ‘repair,’” Mercomes said. “Slavery caused African Americans great injury that persists to this day. How can we take steps to repair that injury? My own family experienced the limitations and barriers described in this film throughout their entire lives. They were granted neither opportunity nor respect.”

“The Cost of Inheritance” introduces descendants of enslaved people and slave owners, and explores how their intertwined histories have influenced their lives. It specifically follows two women who discover their family’s wealth was gained through slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries. By showing off how these parallel historical family experiences played out, the film shows how the harms of slavery’s legacy were carried on through the failed promises of Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, lynching and systemic inequities.

The film also highlights Jesuit priests in Maryland who, on June 19, 1838, sold 272 enslaved people to plantation owners in Louisiana to raise money for Georgetown University, which was economically floundering. The sale of enslaved people was the second-largest transition in the nation’s history and the descendants of the people sold are challenging the Catholic Church to recognize the harms done and pressuring the church to make amends.

Aaron Falbel, head of adult services at the Sunderland Public Library, said the film is a chance for people to see racial justice work in action.

“This documentary tries to come to grips with the thorny issue of reparations, but it does so in a highly personal way by exploring how individuals and institutions have gone about pursuing it. It shows what repairing harm can actually look like,” Falbel said. “That’s certainly one of the things we try to do here at the Sunderland Public Library: to make knowledge more relatable and accessible to people by offering resources and programs toward that end.”

Prior to the screening, Mark Gelotte will offer a few songs in the spirit of Juneteenth. Refreshments will be provided. More information about “The Cost of Inheritance” can be found at bit.ly/4jLwolL.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.