Blacksno: Capturing Stories That Shaped the Central Valley’s African American Community
- Alfredo Camarena
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 minutes ago
Gwen Morris remembers the spark that ignited a unique documentary film project called Blacksno, which records oral histories of African Americans in the Central Valley.
“I was sitting in an executive committee meeting for a well-intentioned community organization, and they started presenting a history and timeline of racism in Fresno,” she said. “I saw it, and I kind of chuckled. I’m 75 years old, and I’ve lived here all my life! So the history of Fresno and what goes on in Fresno, I know a little bit about!”
Ms. Morris said seeing the gaps might have bothered her in the past, but instead of getting upset, she set about correcting the timeline the best way she knew how.
“I invited a few of the elders from our African American community to come to a meeting, and the organization showed them the timeline,” she said. The presenters got just a short way into their talk before their audience started editing the material.
Hearing the conversation that night, Ms. Morris realized there were stories that needed to be told accurately and thoughtfully, preferably by the people who lived them. An idea was born to interview 15 members of the African American community, including older people and members of younger generations.
From this idea, Blacksno has evolved into a storytelling journey allowing people to experience the resilience and brilliance of African American life in the Central Valley.
Through documentary filmmaking, Blacksno uncovers the history that shaped this place and preserves memories and stories.
“We’re the griots of the Central Valley,” said James Archie, Jr., board chair of the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce and a partner with Ms.Morris on the Blacksno Project. Griots are historians and masters of communicating stories orally, which is an African tradition.
“The project really began when we gathered filmmakers with some community members to tell stories of our families that migrated to the Central Valley, the struggles they survived, and the resilience they gained in the process,” Mr. Archie said. “We want to be heard and remembered.”
Jide Kol is a filmmaker and producer who hopes Blacksno will inspire other communities from across the globe to gather and document their own stories.
“They need to tell their stories. If we don't tell these stories, the stories will be told anyway. I come from Africa, and there are stories that have been passed down from generations. They're called folktales, and some of them are called fiction. When people that actually lived it tell those stories, then you know that it's an experience,” Mr. Kol said.
“It’s the originality of history, the sincerity of history, the purity of history. That is important. We hope to change things with our stories,” he said.
The Blacksno documentary will be released in Fall 2026 in conjunction with a film festival. Its producing team includes the San Joaquin Valley Black Communications Network, Higher Vision, DMP Studios, and The Zone Studios. The Central Valley Community Foundation is honored to support this project.
To learn more about the Blacksno Project, visit sjvbcn.com.
This story is part of the Central Valley Community Foundation’s “Sixty Stories That Shaped Us” initiative to help mark 60 years since our founding. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone as well as this special place we call home. To learn more, visit us at centralvalleycf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @centralvalleycf.
