Educational Media Reviews Online

Invented Before You Were Born features filmmaker Jonathan Knight and his sister Rachel, white ancestors of enslaver Richard Bibb, reckoning with their family’s history and connecting with other descendants of Bibb and the enslaved people he emancipated at the time of his death in 1839, over 20 years before the start of the Civil War. The Knight siblings travel from Marin County, California to Logan County in Southern Kentucky, the location of Bibb’s plantation and the three settlements founded by those who he emancipated—Upper Bibbtown, Lower Bibbtown, and Black Bottom. Here, the Knights connect with scholars, historians, and genealogists who have extensively studied Bibb’s enslavement, subsequent emancipation, and the resettlement of emancipated people in the area.

Through the experts’ analysis of primary source documents, viewers learn more about the families enslaved at the Bibb plantation, using detailed records of the property as well as those who lived, worked, and were born there. These genealogical histories are accompanied by illustrations of the enslaved families, inspired by details from the primary source documents, which helps viewers to picture them as real people rather than historical statistics. Through this analysis it is also revealed to the Knights that Bibb had raped some of the people he enslaved, and that descendants of those enslaved by Bibb may share ancestry with Bibb’s white ancestors.

The second part of the documentary shifts to discussions of how to address the history of Bibb and the settlements of Logan County. The film outlines the creation of the SEEK Museum, which has been opened to educate the public about the enslavement and emancipation that took place. There are museums at the plantation house and in the Black Bottom historical district; many young people in the community volunteer to build and maintain these museums to connect with their community. The film concludes with a reunion of Bibb descendants at the SEEK museum. This reunion is an opportunity for all descendants of Bibb to connect, share, and have tough but necessary conversations. The film does not shy away from the conflicted feelings and heavy emotions of the day, from all parties involved.

Invented Before You Were Born is an excellent documentary that provides opportunities for thoughtful, critical discussion. Courses focusing on social justice in America can consider the film's historical context and its relation to the Black Lives Matter Movement. The film also addresses issues of white saviorism and white supremacy, including debates on the appropriateness of turning a plantation house into a museum. The interactions between Bibb’s ancestors, other descendants, and historical scholars are vulnerable, honest, and thought-provoking. This film is recommended for the college classroom and beyond.

Awards:
Orson Welles Award, Tiburon International Film Festival 2022

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