Last November, we sat down with Roxy in New Orleans to make her Legacy Film. During our conversation, she described what it felt like growing up as a black child in the Lower Ninth Ward. We discussed segregation, racial inequity, and perceptions about color. Unfortunately, as current events show, race and racism remain prominent themes in the narrative of our nation. We were set to share this snippet from Roxy's interview back in March, but it was delayed due to the pandemic. Just three months later, Roxy's story is felt even more profoundly.
Thank you to Roxy for allowing us to share this piece. Her positivity is infectious and her message at the end of the clip offers a dose of hope -- something we all can use right now. Also, thanks to Acknowledge Media's newest team member, Claire Bangser, who produced this piece. (More about Claire below.)
Claire Bangser is a filmmaker, photographer and storyteller. Her editorial projects and commercial work focus on telling human stories authentically. In 2014, Claire started the street portrait project NOLAbeings, through which she has photographed and interviewed well over 1,000 people in New Orleans.
Since then, her documentary work has been featured by a wide range of media including National Geographic, The Atlantic, TIME, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Amazon's DP Review, HuffPost, PBS and NPR. She taught filmmaking for National Geographic Student Expeditions from 2013-2017. Claire lives in New Orleans, LA with her partner and young daughter.