The Hidden History of Boston's Abolition Acre

It is 1979. Boston, Massachusetts is racked by racial violence over court-ordered busing to achieve school desegregation. Serena Fox, a Black student doing her master’s in forensic science at a Boston college, takes an elective course on the history of racism and is introduced to David Walker, the charismatic 19th century black abolitionist. Captivated by Walker and his radical manifesto, “An Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World”, Serena begins to hear Walker’s voice in her head and discovers that she can effortlessly recite whole passages from the Appeal. One morning she enters her living room to a find a man dressed in period clothes sitting on the couch. He says he’s David Walker. Serena thinks it’s a prank: the guy must be a friend of her white live-in boyfriend, Josh McCaffrey, who is a drama student. But after a brief conversation with the man, she’s not so sure. Is this Walker’s ghost or is she going crazy?

Serena seeks the counsel of Tom Kellett, the professor teaching the course on racism. Their discussion suggests one reason why Walker might have “returned”: the unfinished business of his own death. Officially, Walker died of consumption, but there has always been a strong belief in the Black community that he was murdered by agents of Southern planters panicked by his incendiary writings. A visiting cousin, Chiku Holmes, convinces Serena that David Walker has a plan for her. Together with Josh, they visit Walker’s gravesite in a South Boston cemetery. Appalled to find only an unmarked grassy plot, Serena vows to launch a campaign for a David Walker memorial. But then she decides it’s not enough: to learn the truth about his death, she must get his remains exhumed.

This is further evidence to Josh that his girlfriend is mentally ill, but he still can’t persuade her to seek professional help. Kellett, also concerned about Serena’s mental state, nonetheless supports her quest for a Walker memorial. But he warns against exhumation—there’s simply no evidence to justify it, it would further inflame racial tensions, and Serena would be putting herself at personal risk. After city officials refuse permission to exhume, Serena and her fellow-activists go to court to win the right to do so. Hostile news media fan the flames of controversy. And Serena becomes a target of hate calls. To cap it all, Josh claims he needs space and moves out of their apartment. Serena is not deterred—but the news that her mother has fallen victim to predatory lending and may lose her home causes her to waver and question her priorities. After a climactic emotional exchange with Walker, Serena realizes that she, too, is truly “called” to be a leader in the contemporary fight for racial justice. A chastened Josh returns, affirming his love for her and seeking reconciliation. But Serena insists they can only have a future together if he pledges to educate himself about the legacy of slavery and take responsibility to work for change.