“I’m interested in the untold story,” says filmmaker and FSU College of Motion Picture Arts faculty Valerie Scoon. “Unknown narratives speak to people on a universal level.” 

Scoon’s documentary, “Invisible History: Middle Florida’s Hidden Roots” premiered on PBS on Thursday, May 20, and is currently airing across the country as well as streaming online throughout the month of June. The film brings to light the contributions of the enslaved peoples of Florida who laid the foundation for Leon County’s infrastructure. 

A year ago, Scoon’s PBS documentary, “Daring Women Doctors” brought to light another little-known narrative and uncovered the pioneering stories of women like Eliza Ann Grier. Grier was born into slavery and entered the medical profession a decade before the Civil War and nearly 70 years before the 19th Amendment was passed.

“I was looking for a vehicle by which we could see something that was from a different point of view,” explains Scoon. “Looking at women doctors is very much a part of the women’s rights and abolitionist movements. With ‘Invisible History’ the angle was to see how history has shaped this area and invite conversations for people to talk and learn together.”

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