Name: BLURRING THE COLOR LINE by Crystal Kwok
Start: 2026-02-15T16:00:00-08:00
End: 2026-02-15T18:00:00-08:00
Location: Clarion Performing Arts Center

Stories of Chinese families in the Black South during Jim Crow disrupt the black and white narrative of America’s racial history
About this Event

Where did the Chinese sit on the bus during Jim Crow?

Blurring the Color Line breaks racial barriers by going beyond the narratives of black & white. Much has been written about segregation upon Black people in the South, but nothing that discusses the social placement of Asian Americans during this time. This film invites critical conversations around today’s racial tensions by addressing a connective past.

Blurring the Color Line is inspired by Crystal Kwok’s grandmother’s story about her family’s grocery store in Augusta, Georgia. Her family grew up in a Black neighborhood and they share stories about their personal experiences that expose the problematic, racialized system.

The film decenters existing narratives and showcases perspectives from both the Chinese and Black community, opening up necessary but uncomfortable discussions between marginalized groups. Blurring the Color Line is a step towards cross-racial solidarity by having a better understanding of the past in efforts of changing the future. Both Asian and Black groups have faced hardships and lack of representation in the media, so this film is needed now more than ever.

“Blurring the Color Line” has received awards including the Courage Award at DisOrient Film Festival, Mira Nair Rising Female Filmmaker Award at the Harlem International Film Festival, Best Documentary Award from JXN Film Festival, Viewers Choice Award & Best Documentary Award from Black Cat Picture Show in Augusta. W. Kamau Bell, Lisa Ling and Daniel Wu are Executive Producers and the film is supported by CAAM and NextShark. Kwok has been interviewed by The World, She Has The Mic and others featured on the film’s YouTube channel.