Discover the incredible journey of healing in the valley in this captivating short documentary. Join our hero story as he shares his personal experiences with venereal disease, HIV, and the groundbreaking advancements in treatment over the years.

Healing in the Valley highlights stories of African Americans living with HIV and investigates how stigma and anti-Black racism make African American communities more vulnerable to this disease. It also draws upon the expertise of doctors, researchers, faith leaders, outreach workers, and activists to explore solutions to addressing the HIV epidemic.

Dr. Kerr’s Personal Statement This project was borne out of a realization that African Americans are affected by HIV and many other diseases because of a larger, underlying societal pathology of injustice. It is informed by the research of Dr. Jelani Kerr, an Associate Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisville. His research explores how social factors such as mass incarceration, stigma, and neighborhood disenfranchisement affect HIV vulnerability for African American communities. This project translates the findings from some of this research into a documentary meant to raise awareness of HIV in the community.

Screenings & Film Festivals:

The Oklahoma Black Film Festival, Semifinalist for best documentary short
Louisville International Film Festival,
Black August Film Festival,
University of Louisville – SPHIS,
Kingdom Fellowship – World Aids Day,