Nickcole reflects on the gift left for the family through Terrell's untimely death: "Terrell has given us a spirit not just to accept what we have, but to struggle for more. He has motivated us to believe in ourselves and make something of our lives."

An enduring characteristic of the Collins family and other African Americans is the value placed on humanity. They have a deep and unwavering concern for the welfare and well-being of others. Indeed, it is this overriding concern for others that moves this family to share their life with us; allowing all of us to get a glimpse of their trials and tribulations. This value, though unexpressed, welcomes strangers into their world, because they know our brief glimpse may lead to a better life for others. Thus, they share their most poignant moments: Terrell's funeral, as they kiss his now lifeless face; Nickcole's graduation and wedding; Wanda's graduation; and all of the special rituals and mundane patterns that reflect and capture their story.

Understanding African Cultural Variables

We recognize and celebrate their generosity, even through their pain. We see the value they place on the unity of all people, reflected in the network of social relationships on which they rely to negotiate the complexities of life.

We also see in the story of this family the importance of values, such as sharing, caring for others, mutual aid, interdependence, social harmony, solidarity and reciprocal obligation. The bonds that hold them together seem to be based on common values, purposes and shared identities. Thus, Nickcole's statement, "You must have love, help and hope from your family and friends and yourself" to manage life successfully. Nickcole continues, "You have to believe in yourself, depend on yourself." These comments reflect yet another cultural value, the interdependence of opposites. A person cannot develop outside of a community, and the community cannot thrive without the talents of many. The Collins family, therefore, depends on their family network for identity and purpose, yet needs the talent and support of all its members.

In terms of this family's moral compass, its conceptions of right and wrong, they believe that rights are secondary to responsibilities. Thus, when Alaissa reveals that she knew it was wrong to work and receive food stamps, she justifies that she did it because of her responsibilities to her family. The family is held as both a fundamental social and moral value, so family members are raised to think of themselves in relationship to other members.

Discussion Questions

• Discuss your reactions to the Collins family's decision to be filmed periodically for five years. How easy or difficult a decision do you think it was?
• What benefits do you think they received from it? Would you allow someone to film your family over 5 years? Why? Why not?
• Based on what you saw during the documentary, what scenes might have ended up on the editor's floor? Why do you think some scenes, although very painful, were left in the film?
• The racial background of the producer of LEGACY is different from that of the Collins family. If the producer were of the same racial background, do you think the documentary would have been the same? If not, how would it have been different? What impact does the producer's racial background have on what members of the Collins family share on screen?
• What values seem important to this family? What examples, from the documentary, support or contradict those values?
• How important is it to this family to help each other? To share? To support? To encourage?
• Both Nickcole and Wanda talk about needing to do things for themselves, personally. How do those strong personal values fit with their family values?
• What role could youth service organizations have in supporting this family's cultural values?
• Sometimes, these strong cultural values are misunderstood in the broader society. Discuss several ways in which the Collins' family values could be misunderstood. What can be done to prevent these misunderstandings? What can your organization do to support the Collins' family values?

Resources

• Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (ASCAC), (213) 730-1155
• Council of Independent Black Institutions (CIBI)
• Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi), (310) 568-9274
• Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAALH), (301) 587-5900