"FAMILY NAME" A film by Macky ALSTON http://www.pbs.org/independents/forum/sept98_forum.1.html September 15, 1998 at 10 PM on PBS This winner of the 1997 Sundance Freedom of Expression Award follows filmmaker Macky ALSTON from New York to the South, as he embarks on an excavation to unearth the history of his white slave-owning family, and explores the link to the black families that share his name. American Documentary, P.O.V.'s parent company, is proud to present this P.O.V. special as the launch of the Television Race Initiative, a three-year effort in which diverse, character-driven public television broadcasts create a spine for community dialogue and problem-solving around the issue of race relations. As a child growing up in North Carolina, Macky Alston never gave much thought to the fact that many of his black elementary school classmates shared his last name. At the age of 27, he discovered that the Alstons were one of the largest slave-owning families in antebellum North Carolina. In the following interview, Macky discusses the personal motivations that compelled him to make "Family Name," and the astonishing discoveries he made while filming.