On March 3, 2026, the Africana Studies Institute screened the Emmy Award-winning documentary, The Ebony Canal. The film explores Black maternal and infant health disparities through interviews with mothers, health practitioners, historians, activists, and celebrities. Narrated by Academy Award Winner Viola Davis with beautiful cinematography and compelling storytelling, The Ebony Canal encourages you to learn more about ongoing medical and political challenges faced by Black mothers and babies. It also urges you to consider what solutions could mitigate this health crisis today.

Following the film, a panel discussion with Dr. Deirdre Cooper-Owens (UConn Africana Studies and History), Dr. Lucinda Canty (UMass Amherst, Director of Seedworks Health Equity in Nursing Program), Dr. Raja Staggers-Hakim (UConn Sociology, Africana Studies Affiliate), and Emmai Alaquiva, the Emmy Award-winning director of the film.