Underground Railroad, Moss and Memory Intertwine in Experimental Film at Tri-C Eastern Campus

Mandel Humanities forum to explore Cleveland's hidden histories through a poetic documentary and live panel

HIGHLAND HILLS — The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center at the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) Eastern Campus will welcome the public for a compelling evening of film and conversation on Thursday, Nov. 13.

Titled "Movements, Moss and Movies: Connecting Cleveland Through the Underground Railroad," the event will feature a screening of a portion of the work-in-progress film The Dead Will Show You the Way: A Fugue for Moss and Memory. The film blends moss-filled imagery with the story of 96-year-old Joan Southgate, who walked the length of the Underground Railroad and helped preserve the historic Cozad-Bates House.

Following the screening, a panel of Ohio-based educators will discuss the film's themes and the intersections of history, ecology and activism. The panelists include:

• Filmmaker Simone Barros
• Civil rights educator Joan Southgate
• Archaeologist Elizabeth Hoag, Senior Professor of Practice, Liberal Arts, Cleveland Institute of Art
• Bryologist Robert Klips, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University

The event begins at 6 p.m. in the ESS 2410 auditorium, with a reception to follow at 7:30 p.m. The Eastern Campus is located at 4250 Richmond Road in Highland Hills, 44122.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Mandel Humanities Center website.

October 29, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu