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Civil War Colored Troops | Courage, Determination, Survival

The documentary, Civil War Colored Troops | Courage. Determination. Survival. highlights the extraordinary contributions of the formerly enslaved Black soldiers who risked their lives to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. They demonstrated incredible dedication and loyalty to fight for and to become part of a nation that they could call their own.

Individual stories of courage, their impact, and of the origin of the US Colored Troops (USCT) and their impressive wartime contributions, have not been told from a perspective that valued their valor, in addition to the success that their participation provided in changing the course of the Civil War, which divided the nation over slavery.

The USCT story is very complex. Initially the rationale behind folding the formerly enslaved into the ranks as soldiers was multifaceted. In an effort to obtain victory, the Union Army needed to increase troop numbers and the enslaved could offer an enormous boost to their numbers. Both free and formerly enslaved Blacks stepped up to the challenge and risked their lives for the opportunity to be emancipated. Untold stories of heroics and determination, courage, loyalty and a fierce desire to survive, despite the incredible odds and adversity that was thrust against the USCTs only reinforces the need for the legacy that they left behind to be shared and their stories to be told.

Writer/Director
Luana M. Graves Sellars A native-born New Yorker, Luana M. Graves Sellars, quickly discovered that weather wise, she was really "a mis-placed Floridian". After a career in advertising as a media buyer, music promotions and marketing and owning two large capacity preschools, even though she has a degree in Journalism and Black History, she wasn’t prepared to live on Hilton Head Island, one of the most culturally rich and historic areas of the South. A passion for her Gullah Geechee roots led her to become a cultural influencer and preservationist through her writing, which is focused on educating others, as well as documenting Gullah culture, its history, and people. In 2021, she started her own company, Sankofa Communications and expanded her content creation into visual media, where she also writes, directs, and produces culturally focused video shorts and documentaries. To date, Luana has written, produced, directed, and voiced five historic documentaries: Freedom Day | Exploring the Families of Historic Mitchelville, Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom, Seeking | The Gullah Religious Tradition, US Colored Troops | Stories of Courage, Determination and Survival. Her passion for preserving the culture includes raising funds to protect historic Gullah land as the Founder of the nonprofit(s) Lowcountry Gullah and the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation. Lowcountry Gullah was established to document and educate people about the rich significance of the culture and its role in American history and society today. The Foundation was formed to support the overall Lowcountry Gullah mission, and specifically focuses on preserving what’s left of historic Gullah land through a proactive approach, guidance and education. Her passion for her Gullah Geechee roots led her to become a cultural influencer and preservationist through her writing and podcast, which is focused on educating others, as well as documenting Gullah culture, its history, and people. In 2021, she started her own company, Sankofa Communications and expanded her content creation into visual media, where she also writes, directs, voices and produces culturally focused video shorts and documentaries. To date, she is the complete content creator for five documentaries: Freedom Day | Exploring the Families of Historic Mitchelville, Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom, Seeking | The Gullah Religious Tradition, Harriet Tubman | From The Railroad to a Spy and Colored Troops of the Civil War | Courage. Determination. Survival. - Film Festival Selection Nominations from Bill Johnson Black Film Festival 2024 and Documentaries Without Borders Nominee 2024. The Harriet Tubman documentary premiered on PBS in April of 2023 and received a Selection Nomination(s) from the AfroSouth Film Festival 2023, Bill Johnson Black Film Festival 2024, Documentaries Without Borders Nominee 2024.

Luana M. Graves Sellars

A native-born New Yorker, Luana M. Graves Sellars, quickly discovered that weather wise, she was really "a mis-placed Floridian". After a career in advertising as a media buyer, music promotions and marketing and owning two large capacity preschools, even though she has a degree in Journalism and Black History, she wasn’t prepared to live on Hilton Head Island, one of the most culturally rich and historic areas of the South. A passion for her Gullah Geechee roots led her to become a cultural influencer and preservationist through her writing, which is focused on educating others, as well as documenting Gullah culture, its history, and people. In 2021, she started her own company, Sankofa Communications and expanded her content creation into visual media, where she also writes, directs, and produces culturally focused video shorts and documentaries. To date, Luana has written, produced, directed, and voiced five historic documentaries: Freedom Day | Exploring the Families of Historic Mitchelville, Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom, Seeking | The Gullah Religious Tradition, US Colored Troops | Stories of Courage, Determination and Survival. Her passion for preserving the culture includes raising funds to protect historic Gullah land as the Founder of the nonprofit(s) Lowcountry Gullah and the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation. Lowcountry Gullah was established to document and educate people about the rich significance of the culture and its role in American history and society today. The Foundation was formed to support the overall Lowcountry Gullah mission, and specifically focuses on preserving what’s left of historic Gullah land through a proactive approach, guidance and education.

Her passion for her Gullah Geechee roots led her to become a cultural influencer and preservationist through her writing and podcast, which is focused on educating others, as well as documenting Gullah culture, its history, and people. In 2021, she started her own company, Sankofa Communications and expanded her content creation into visual media, where she also writes, directs, voices and produces culturally focused video shorts and documentaries. To date, she is the complete content creator for five documentaries: Freedom Day | Exploring the Families of Historic Mitchelville, Juneteenth | The Birth of Freedom, Seeking | The Gullah Religious Tradition, Harriet Tubman | From The Railroad to a Spy and Colored Troops of the Civil War | Courage. Determination. Survival. - Film Festival Selection Nominations from Bill Johnson Black Film Festival 2024 and Documentaries Without Borders Nominee 2024.

The Harriet Tubman documentary premiered on PBS in April of 2023 and received a Selection Nomination(s) from the AfroSouth Film Festival 2023, Bill Johnson Black Film Festival 2024, Documentaries Without Borders Nominee 2024.

Director Statement

This is my fourth documentary, but definitely my favorite. Harriet Tubman was an amazing contributor to US History who's full story needs to be told. This documentary is not about her work on the Underground Railroad, because everyone knows that story; this is about all of the incredible details of her life that most people will be surprised, impressed and motivated by.

Civil War Colored Troops | Courage, Determination, Survival
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