This is installment #24 of Shadow And Act’s #ShortFilmShoutout series.

The trials of assimilation rear their ugly heads when a Black CEO interviews a prospective employee in Colors of Sankofa, directed by Jalen Blot and written by Patrick Mensah-Boadi.

In Colors of Sankofa, Elyse Bempong (Tye Myers) is trying to fill a high position within her company, but she gets a shock from her childhood when Adeline (Samantha Thomas), her former bully, is the one interviewing for the position. The interview makes way for a discussion about colorism, assimilation, intra-racial discrimination, and the divide in the African diaspora.

“One theme we wanted to tackle is how colorism is perceived in the workplace,” Blot said in an interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel. “We not only see other races doing it but also our own. So in the film, we highlight how her name speaks to her work ethic. We really wanted to show how she built herself up despite the name barrier.”

The film is still currently screening on the festival circuit, including its recent showcase at the Pan African Film Festival.

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Photo credit: Jalen Bolt

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