Courtney Staton is a Black Southern poet, community organizer and filmmaker dedicated to facilitating change through the sharing of stories. Since its 2019 premiere at BlackStar Film Festival, her debut documentary “Silence Sam,” following the student-led movement to remove UNC-Chapel Hill’s Confederate monument from campus, has had impact driven screenings across the South. A 2018 NeXt Doc fellow and lead educator at Youth FX, Courtney currently serves as an impact producer of “The Neutral Ground,” unpacking monuments, myth and how to break up with the Confederacy, and “Freedom Hill.” One of Ms. Magazine’s “25 under 25 to watch,” Courtney works to drive viewers past the point of empathy to the point of healing and action.