As a first-time filmmaker, I had a baseline understanding of redlining when I first visited Omaha in 2020, but was interested in learning more about how it shapes life in every city across the country. There’s often an assumption that redlining only impacted major cities like Chicago, Detroit, LA, etc., but I wanted to know more about redlining’s legacy in smaller cities like Omaha. And once I started researching the local history and the ongoing impact of redlining in Omaha, I knew there was a much larger story to be told – one that really speaks to the pervasiveness of these maps.

It was during this process of information gathering and personal study that I recognized the absence of redlining from my own education. Even though history and social justice have been two major interest areas of mine since middle school, I couldn’t remember learning about redlining in any of my classes. And once I started to understand just how transformational these maps and policies were across all major aspects of American life, I knew I wanted to create something that would start to fill that gap in our collective understanding of this critical issue and its long-lasting impacts.

As a filmmaker and storyteller, I wanted to ensure that the voices and expertise of those who experience the impact of redlining first-hand were prominent from development through distribution. All members of the Governing Board are participants in the film, have deep ties to Omaha, and were fundamental to the creation and execution of this film. We also worked with many Omaha and Nebraska-based creatives to bring this film to life, since we felt it was important to be able to tell these stories from the perspectives of those who know the community best.

Ultimately, it was the people I met and who shared their stories that really drove the focus and narrative arc of this film. We had the privilege of speaking with countless individuals about the direct and indirect impact redlining has had on them individually, and oftentimes, generationally. It’s these personal accounts and the generosity of each participant willing to share their knowledge and experiences that make Divisible a compelling example of this national phenomenon.