Daughters of the Dust
January 24, 2027
6:30 – 8:00 EST Zoom
Daughters of the Dust – “A landmark drama, written, directed, and produced by Julie Dash, making history as the first feature film directed by an African-American woman to receive a general theatrical release in the US (1991).
The story centers on the Peazant family, part of the Gullah/Geechee community—descendants of enslaved Africans who remained isolated on the islands and preserved deep-rooted West African cultural, linguistic, and spiritual traditions.
The film does not follow a traditional linear plot; instead, it unfolds as a “tone poem” focusing on sensory memories, family dynamics, Gullah dialect, and emotional negotiations.
The film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2004, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
It was restored and re-released in 2016 by the Cohen Media Group to mark its 25th anniversary.
The film is available for free viewing at this link.
Your hosts: Bernice Marie-Daly, AP III and Leslye Colvin, AP XXII.
Our book discussion facilitators are donating their time, but we still have an administrative cost of $250, which needs to be paid to keep this discussion free to the public, our Greater Guild. Please consider a donation.