Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project

Director   Charles B. Brack
Country   USA
Year   2008
Languages   English
Genre   Documentary
Running Time   58 min

This documentary tells the little known story of Sakia Gunn, a 15 year old high school student who was fatally stabbed in a gay hate crime in Newark, New Jersey. This story depicts the homophobia behind this brutal murder, while examining Sakia’s short but loving life and family and the world of Aggressives, homosexual women of color who dress in masculine attire but do not necessarily identify as either lesbians or female-to-male transgenders.

TW: The film discusses homophobic homicide, racism and racial discrimination, assault, violence, death, grief and loss.

This film is part of Black & Brown Queer Resilience program.

Director’s Bio

Charles B. Brack (he/him)

Chas. Bennett Brack studied documentary arts at Antioch College, graduating with a degree in cultural and interdisciplinary arts. Upon his arrival in New York City, Brack became involved in Men of All Colors Together, NY – an anti-racism organization as the co-chair, national representative and Political Action Committee co-chair. Brack took a position at the New York City Commission on Human Rights in the Lesbian and Gay Discrimination Documentation Project/AIDS Discrimination Unit as Associate Video Producer. During his tenure, he co-founded and performed with Lavender Light Gospel Choir for over 15 years. As a result of his work with Lavender Light and the Black LGBT sacred community, he became a charter member of, and ordained as, a deacon in Unity Fellowship Church, NY. Brack’s professional career continued at The Gay Men’s Health Crisis as producer of their weekly AIDS information television magazine, Living With AIDS. He worked at Third World Newsreel, while distributing and touring with his highly acclaimed directorial debut, Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project. 

He is the recipient of the 2012 Black Gay Research Group Founder’s Spirit and Soul Awards for Outstanding Contributions in Service to the Black Gay Community, the 2014 Antioch College Alumni Association’s Walter Anderson Award, and the 2017 Optum SuperHero Award, for outstanding service to customers. 

Brack is currently a Peer Support Specialist Supervisor with UnitedHealthcare, in Care and Disease management, specifically mental illness and addiction services.