In Montclair: ‘The Price Of Silence’ Film Screening Event, Discussion

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Montclair Public Library. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

On Saturday, February 22, at 3:30 p.m., the public is invited to explore the roots of slavery in a three-part NJ PBS documentary, The Price of Silence. Afterward, the library will be hosting a discussion with the filmmaker, Ridgeley Hutchinson, with Linda Caldwell Epps, a historical consultant on the film. Register at adultschool.org.

“The Price of Silence draws on individual stories to take us on an epic yet intimate journey through Black history in New Jersey,” says Library Director Radwa Ali.“Don’t miss this great opportunity to view all three episodes and meet the director!”

New Jersey, the Garden State, is known for its produce, but not for the enslaved people who tilled the soil. In this three-part documentary series, originally created for and broadcast on NJ PBS, descendants and historians tell their stories, explain why it was the last northern state to end the institution of slavery, and how NJ's history affected those who came here in the Great Migration. Each episode is 28 minutes long and there will be a 5-minute intermission after the second episode.

The Price of Silence is a Public Media Initiative through The WNET Group.

This program is co-presented by the Montclair NAACP, the Montclair History Center, the Friends of Howe House, the UU Undoing Racism Team, and the League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area.

The last episode of The Price of Silence, Chasing the Dream, will be aired on February 19, 2025. Ridgeley Hutchinson is available for interviews on the subject of the documentary and his appearance at the library.

Ridgeley Hutchinson, the filmmaker, is president and CFO of Truehart Productions. He serves on the Community Advisory Board of NJ PBS and was the vice-chair of the NJ Educational Facilities Authority for 17 years. In 2019, Hutchinson encountered the book “If These Stones Could Talk: African American Presence in the Hopewell Valley” by Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills. He was so moved by these largely unknown stories of slavery in New Jersey as told in the book, he decided to try his hand at filmmaking and spread the word about them. Hutchinson created the first two episodes in The Price of Silence, which were both nominated for Emmys. He has just added a third episode to the series, exploring the aftermath of slavery in the Great Migration to Newark.

Linda Caldwell Epps, a historical consultant on The Price of Silence, is the founder of 1804 Consultants, which helps educational and cultural organizations research, interpret and present the African American experience. She was president of the New Jersey Historical Society and vice president of institutional relations of New Jersey Network Television and Radio. In her long association with Bloomfield College, Epps has served as vice president for college relations, vice president for student affairs, and dean of students. She is proud to hold an honorary PhD in humanities from Princeton University.

NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public media network, brings high quality arts, education, and public affairs programming to all 21 counties in the state. Headquartered at the Agnes Varis NJ PBS Studio in Newark, the network offers diverse local programs and PBS favorites such as Nature, NOVA, Amanpour and Company and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Its award-winning newsroom, NJ Spotlight News, provides multi-platform reporting from across the Garden State on its weeknight newscast/podcast, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, and digitally via NJSpotlightNews.org, plus live news specials, podcasts, community engagement events and daily newsletters.

NJ PBS engages with the communities it serves through regular studio tours, internship opportunities, local program screenings, and town hall-style convenings that highlight topics from healthcare, housing and poverty to education and the environment.

Founded in 1893, the Montclair Public Library serves the residents of Montclair, New Jersey. It has two facilities: the Main Library at 50 South Fullerton Avenue and the Bellevue Avenue Branch Library at 185 Bellevue Avenue. The Library has been changing lives every day for over 125 years through words, ideas, and community building by providing unlimited opportunities for lifelong learning, discovery, and community engagement.

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