A short documentary conceived by Alyse Tucker Bounds and directed by Ryan Furr, Crossroads Stories is a valuable library resource discussing social issues and race. The filmmakers take us to Columbia, Indiana for a series of interviews—all meant to center the Black experience in predominantly White “small-town America.”
Crossroads begins by highlighting the fight for racial justice in inner cities. While shots of protestors and “Black Lives Matter” signs pan across the screen, the narrator acknowledges the racism and violence experienced by Black and Brown people across America. Yet, she proposes that the media’s ongoing conversation about this issue typically excludes a large group of people. “What is it like,” the narrator asks, “to be Black in the Crossroads of America?” What are the quieter struggles of Black people living in small-town, majority-White populations? Columbus residents help shed light on these questions.
Columbus’s population is made up of only 3.5 percent African Americans. Crossroads’ subjects, then, know what it is like to be marginalized and cast as the “other” in their community. These interviewees–Al Tucker, John Bundick, Celeste Nudi, Nia Omega, Ridge Harris, and Alfonso Wadholm–speak eloquently and passionately, spinning their lived experiences into hopeful exhortations for social change. They give testimony in simple and straightforward, but moving statements: of first becoming aware of one’s own Blackness as a child; of burying parts of one’s self that don’t fit into White spaces; of microaggressions, of the difficult talks on racism with one’s children. The documentary ends with a call to action that specifically addresses Columbus residents. However, the suggested ways to advocate for social justice can be widely applied.
While Crossroads Stories could benefit from more detail and nuance–it just skims the surface for the wealth of personal narratives and data on the topic at hand–it delivers its message clearly and concisely. For such a short film, Crossroads offers a strong foundation for beginning to explore race relations in the context of a small, predominantly White town. An educational library resource, this social issues documentary is a worthwhile purchase. Recommended.
Discover more titles with our list of movies about race.
What public library shelves would this title be on?
We recommend this title for documentary and social issues shelves.
Can Crossroad Stories be used in a library education program?
Absolutely. Crossroads Stories is a short, accessible documentary, making it a great library resource for a wide audience. Public and academic librarians could make use of the film in racial and social equity education programs.
Does Crossroad Stories have Public Performance Rights available?
Crossroads Stories does have limited PPR included with the purchase of the DVD. It’s recommended for high school or college classroom showings, or even community screenings.