One River, One Boat

Charleston, South Carolina is characterized by two contradictory visions. One vision covers for a history of slavery, white supremacy, and tourism; the other points to stark inequities based on race. Can corrective histories lead to racial justice and conciliation; if we change the story, will the city change?

One River, One Boat follows the actions of a coalition of 30 faith based organizations that each year plan an intervention, the Nehemiah Action, to identify critical problems in the community and to provide clear and immediate policy remedies for the civic leaders to implement. CAJM’s Nehemiah Action has several victories with real outcomes in the areas of pre-school education, restorative justice, and wage equity. One River, One Boat will use interviews, archival material, and current footage of the activist actions to tell the story of a community where the focus on recent tragedies has been on “forgiveness” and “grace” rather than toward real solutions to racial injustice. The film will map out the prior history of CAJM and the Nehemiah Action as well as follow the group as it develops a strategy for success given the group has been charged with aggressive tactics and “impolite” behavior as they have relentlessly pressured city hall. We film small house sessions designed to build consensus on ideas and strategies and then film the culmination the Nehemiah Action, a public forum to demand a resolution on the targeted issue.

Directors | Vicki Callahan
Producers | Vicki Callahan, Tony Bell, Lauren Waring Douglas
Website | Oneriveroneboat.com