Symbolizing the Past: Reading Sankofa, Daughters of the Dust, & Eve's Bayou as Histories

Examples of constructing history through film, the three fictional narratives which are the focus of Sandra Grayson's study provide insight into how the role of the African American woman has been overlooked to the point of suppression. The women in these works are presented as warriors, educators, healers, seers, oral historians, as well as mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives. Through research into archival materials and study of the symbols encoded in the films themselves, Symbolizing the Past reveals the gap between the reality of black mythic history and its representation.