SIUE’s School of Education Health and Human Behavior to Host Documentary Screening and Exhibition Celebrating Black Futurity and Academic Life
On Thursday, March 19, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Educational Leadership in the School of Education Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) is hosting a documentary screening titled “Things We Imagined: Black Futurity and Academic Life,” celebrating the latest work from the nationally recognized Imagined Futures project. The documentary is produced by Candace N. Hall, EdD, SEHHB assistant professor and program director of Higher Education and Student Affairs.
According to the project’s website, the Imagined Futures project is a digital/visual scholarship project blending artistic portraits, documentary interviews, illustrations and written work from aspiring, current and former Black college and university faculty. Through speculative methods and visual research, Hall and Davis employ photography and film in ways that excavate Black faculty from the recesses of academic life into the forefront.
“This project, the film, the exhibit, all of the moving pieces is better than I could have imagined. I remain grateful and deeply honored that colleagues that have blazed trails before me, share space with me, and coming behind me shared their stories with us on film and on the page. The reception of this work brings me to tears,” said Hall.
The film and exhibit premiered at the 50th anniversary of the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Hundreds of people gathered to watch the film and experience the exhibit and more.
Hall previously served as executive producer and creator of the award-winning 2022 documentary “clusterluck.”
“Dr. Hall’s scholarly work is a powerful testament to intentionality, creativity, and innovation. She moves beyond traditional academic boundaries, using film and media to illuminate new pathways for understanding scholarship through artistic expression. Her work does more than inform—it inspires, challenges, and expands the ways we engage with knowledge,” said Robin L. Hughes, PhD, Dean of SEHHB, on attending the premiere.
She added “Since debuting at national conferences before audiences of more than 400 attendees, she has continued to captivate scholars and practitioners alike. Traveling across the United States, she compellingly articulates what it truly means to serve at institutions across America. Dr. Hall’s work stands as both a model and a movement—redefining scholarship through vision, artistry, and purpose.”
Along with the film screening, the evening will feature a live Q&A with producer Hall and director Charles H.F. Davis III, PhD, University of Michigan, and a reception with live music, hors d'oeuvres and beverages. Doors open at 5 p.m. and program begins at 6 p.m. in Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom.
Registration for the event is available at Eventbrite.
Photos by Jaelin Collier of Curry Street Studios: Drs. Candace N. Hall and Charles H.F. Davis, III at the premiere of Things We Imagined at the 50th convening of the Association for the Study of Higher Education in Denver, Colo.; Educational Leadership Faculty at the Things We Imagined Premiere in Denver (left to right) Danielle Huff, EdD; Cherese Fine, PhD; Candace N. Hall, EdD, J.T. Snipes, PhD, and Latrice Marianno, PhD
