MY FATHER’S NAME: A father’s secret. A daughter’s reckoning. A nation’s dark legacy.
My Father’s Name
A father’s secret. A daughter’s reckoning. A nation’s dark legacy.
Join us on Thursday, August 28 for a screening of the award-winning documentary short, MY FATHER’S NAME, followed by a conversation with director Susanna Styron and Executive Producer Connie Royster.
MY FATHER’S NAME tells the intimate story of Jan Frazier’s attempt to uncover the truth about her father’s participation in a lynching, find a way to hold her family accountable, and face the dawning awareness of her own unconscious racism. What begins as a search for answers becomes a reckoning with conflicted love, buried histories, and the uncomfortable truths many white Americans still struggle to face.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. calls MY FATHER’S NAME “A gripping and essential exploration of race, accountability, and the far-reaching consequences of family secrets.”
Following the screening, Styron and Royster will discuss the film’s creation, the questions it raises, and the ongoing process of attempting to tell the truth about our personal and collective histories.
Learn more and watch the trailer at myfathersname.com. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening.
BIOS:
Susanna Styron is an accomplished writer and director of film and television with numerous credits in narrative, documentary, short form and long form. Susanna’s work has been seen in major festivals and movie theaters worldwide, and on such outlets as HBO, Netflix and Amazon. Her first documentary short, SUSPENDED SENTENCE, shot on Martha’s Vineyard in the winter of 1976, is in the permanent collection of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
Constance Royster is an Executive Producer of this film. She is a consultant and advisor to nonprofits and individuals in education, arts and culture. A graduate of Yale University, Connie went on to Rutgers law school and a 25-year career in law, including as an associate at Paul Weiss and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the SDNY. In her second career, Connie was a fundraiser for the Yale Environment School and served as Director of Development at the Divinity School. She sits on multiple boards, including Long Wharf Theater. Connie is the niece and namesake of Judge Constance Baker Motley, a fellow of Jonathan Edwards College at Yale, and recipient of the prestigious Yale Medal.
MVM Members: $20; Non-Members: $30
DETAILS
| Date | August 28, 2025 |
|---|---|
| From | 5:00 pm |
| To | 6:30 pm |
| Type | Screening |
| Venue | Martha’s Vineyard Museum |