A public announcement was made at this morning’s panel that makes official the news that we involved in Traces have been looking forward to spreading: Traces of the Trade will be shown nationally in 2008 on PBS by P.O.V., television’s longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. A date has not yet been announced. We expect a press release to announce the details sometime after the Sundance Festival ends.

I was a little worried that this morning’s snowfall here and all the way to Salt Lake City would hamper attendance, but this morning’s Traces of the Trade panel was attended by roughly 60 people, including members of the media. Orlando Bagwell, Media Production Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, moderated (and made the announcement about P.O.V.). Congressman Conyers and Katrina Browne were joined by Dedrick Muhummad, senior organizer and research associate at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D. C.

Clips from the film were shown, followed by the three panelists talking about the potential policy and political impacts that Traces of the Trade could have in the national discussion regarding the legacy of slavery and systemic racism that exist in our culture and institutions.

Some of us now have a couple hours of “down time” before making our way to the Holiday Cinemas for the sold out World Premiere of Traces of the Trade.

More later…