Polita Glynn specializes in documentary filmmaking, screenwriting and creative storytelling focused on history, cultural diversity and environment. She received a State of Florida 1996 Individual Artists Fellowship in Media Arts, a 2015 Sundance Screenwriters Fellowship, a 2022 St. Pete Arts Alliance Artist grant and a 2023 Creative Pinellas Beyond Placemaking fellowship. Glynn has her B.A. in American Studies from Bennington College, Ed.M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and studied film at the University of Miami School of Communication. Along with director and cinematographer Devin Rice, she has produced several documentaries about Florida history, including "Underground History," which can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1041761314/68b577bf81 . The Merfolk Media Alliance website is https://merfolkmedia.org/ .
1. How and/or when did you get you hooked on history?
I think that I have always been drawn to the past and how it informs the present. Maybe
some of that was inspired by my father’s love of history, particularly the Civil War. He
had a whole library of history books in our house when I was growing up, and we would
look at those together. As an undergraduate, I majored in History and American Studies.
My thesis focused on an analysis of historical correspondence between generations of
Vermont families and how they adapted to changing values and culture. I find that I
always want to know about the history of a place and the stories of its people to deepen
my understanding and sense of place.
2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?
I am the daughter of a Peruvian immigrant and the granddaughter of Russian Jewish
immigrants. My mother’s family escaped the pogroms in Russia and went to Peru. My
father’s family immigrated to Boston. Their stories, and trying to learn more about my
ancestors, contributed to my interest in understanding history, heritage and ancestry. I
believe that we are all impacted by our own historical stories.
3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?
When I finished my undergraduate degree at Bennington College, I wanted to work in
historical museum research and exhibit design. However, I soon realized there was very
little work in that area so I pivoted to the field of education. My work in Boston in
education addressed school desegregation and cross-cultural communication. I found
that these issues all draw on historical context. So, while not directly working in history
education, I recognized that understanding history was essential to creating a context
for social issues. My professional career took me in other directions, but now that I am
“retired” I have returned to history and my love of filmmaking, research and storytelling.
4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
In many places in the world, people strive to acknowledge the history of the land where
they reside. Known as land acknowledgement, this recognition identifies the past which
erased Indigenous people’s history and culture. As a broader concept
acknowledgement can be a starting point in recognizing histories which have been
erased, ranging from ancient Indigenous people to contemporary displaced
communities. As someone who cares about social justice, I believe that a community
can develop a deeper sense of place and a better vision for the future through
increased awareness of its history and an expanded understanding of its past.
5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
Great question. I think I would like to answer this we a favorite quote:
“For millenniums, humans have told stories to connect, relate and weave imaginative
truths that enable us to see one another more clearly with compassion and courage...
When we do this, we tap into an ancient power that makes us, and the world, more of
who we are: a single race looking for reasons, searching for purpose, seeking to find
ourselves.” Amanda Gorman, Poet, New York Times interview. 12/8/22
6. How did you come to explore the subject of Tampa Bay’s “Underground
History” and what is the heart of the story that you tell in your film “Underground
History: Exploring Erased Histories in the Tampa Bay Region”?
In St. Petersburg, we have layers and layers of history under our feet, ranging from
ancient to more recent times. When I moved from Miami to St. Pete in 2021, my
imagination was captured biking around the ‘Pink Streets’ and seeing the Pinellas Point
Mound. Who has an ancient Indigenous mound in the middle of a suburban
neighborhood? And were there more or how many were lost? What other histories were
erased and where can we find those stories? I wanted to peel back those layers and
explore that history, as well as amplify the voices of people working to illuminate the
past. I was particularly interested in acknowledging the erased stories that are
sometimes buried but still impact our present and influence the future.
7. 7. What other products has your company, Merfolk Media, produced?
Merfolk Media Alliance was formed in 2022 after I stepped down from my full-time
position as director of the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation. Merfolk Media
is still a relatively young non-profit organization. In additional to the Underground History documentary, Merfolk Media developed and produced ‘Underground History Visual Poetry,’ which blends place-based spoken word poetry with filmmaking, music and public outreach to present stories of erased histories in the St. Petersburg community and Tampa Bay region.
Merfolk Media recently produced and directed ‘The Brick Roads of St. Petersburg.’ This
short film focuses the history of brick roads, an iconic historic feature of the city. The film
mixes rich visual imagery of the city’s brick roads with archival images, old newspaper
articles, historic maps and animation. Community outreach is also an essential element of all my film projects. For each of these films, we have organized community screenings and strived to engage audiences in the stories and histories presented in the films.
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