Ghosts of a Lost Cause

Battle for the Will of the People in Small-Town America

Film synopsis

In the aftermath of the Civil War, over 60 monuments honoring Confederate soldiers were erected across Kentucky. Many were erected at the turn of the 20th century during the Jim Crow era which marked a violent and oppressive time for African-Americans. Only 10 monuments honoring Kentuckians who fought for the Union Army exist, despite less than 35,000 Kentuckians serving in the Confederacy, compared to over 100,000 who served on the Union side. Additionally, of those 100,000 troops, 24,000 were African-American. The Colored Soldiers Monument in Frankfort is the sole monument that was commissioned to honor their service. Confederate monuments increasingly were focused on a "memorialization of the Lost Cause.

The murder of Breonna Taylor and the failures of the criminal justice system that followed thrust Kentucky and its numerous monuments to the “Lost Cause” into the 2020 Movement for Black Lives. Resistance in Kentucky’s biggest city, Louisville triggered resistance in small communities for the first time in a generation. This documentary highlights the stories of ordinary citizens who chose to fight in an advocacy desert against the “good ol’ boy” network.

Credits

Producer: Sherman Neal II
Executive Producer: Gerry Seavo James
Videographers: Josh Mauser, Seth Hawkins, Gerry Seavo James
Lead editor: Seth Hawkins

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Filmmakers

Sherman Neal II
Producer

Sherman Neal II is an attorney, community organizer, and decorated Marine Corps Officer. He founded Rising Tide Sports, a sports consultancy focusing on college athlete empowerment through NIL opportunities leveraging experiences as a former Division I football coach and athlete. Beyond his sports involvement, Sherman has a diverse professional background, including infrastructure project management, strategic planning, leadership development, and risk management. His legal practice areas focus on administrative law, sports law, family law, and immigration. Sherman is an active community organizer, a documentary producer, and a strong advocate for justice and equity. He holds degrees in Political Science, Law, Sports Business, and Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law. As a devoted father and dedicated volunteer, he's committed to creating a better future for his children and the community. He currently resides in suburban Atlanta, Georgia.

Gerry Seavo James
Executive Producer

Gerry Seavo James is a storyteller who uses photography, cinematography, public relations, journalism, and mixed media to tell stories about the landscapes and people he encounters in his travels across the Commonwealth and beyond. Gerry is the Deputy Director of Outdoors for All at the Sierra Club, as well as the founding Director of The Explore Kentucky Initiative and an alumni and founding Steering Committee member of the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX). Gerry has helped to further the field of adventure tourism and community and cultural exploration across Kentucky through EKI, and through his participation in RUX, has worked across rural Kentucky communities and counties.