Maya Battle ’27, Business of Art and Design, first wrote the poem Mama’s Trauma after watching the tragedies surrounding Breonna Taylor and George Floyd’s deaths unfold in 2020. The poem describes intergenerational trauma and collapses the illusion of some great separation of time between slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, and the hypocrisy and double standards that exist within the legal system today. Battle said, “At its core, Mama’s Trauma is my demand for people to listen, to acknowledge, and to understand that this isn’t just history—this is now. The struggles of our ancestors still shape our reality today.”
Battle always knew she wanted to turn this poem into a film in some way. She said, “I was tired of seeing these conversations sugarcoated. No one was saying it authentically, so I did. This is the reality of Black America—the trauma, the history, the double standards—and I refuse to package it in a way that makes it easier for people to digest. If it makes you uncomfortable, good. It should.”
After meeting Ringling College of Art and Design Film majors Sean Jenkins ’28 and Sebastien Vaughn ’28, she found like-minded collaborators and cultural resonance. The three quickly became a trio and collaborated on the film adaptation of Mama’s Trauma.
Each of the three collaborators brought something unique to the project. It was directed and written by Battle, produced by Jenkins, with cinematography by Vaughn. Jenkins shared about the process, “I think being able to collaborate with the two of them allowed for everyone to shine in their respective roles—which is another thing, too, that we’re also good friends outside of the project. It was a learning curve moving into a professional space, but there was great communication throughout… our workflow was almost seamless.”
The film will be screened in The Art Showcase, which opens today at Crossley Gallery. The exhibition, organized by the Black Student Union in collaboration with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, will be on view from Feb. 17-22.
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