The Simril(l)s: A Family in Black and White

CNN Anchor/Senior National Correspondent Sara Sidner returns with a powerful portrait of a multi-racial Southern family  that confronts and explores its painful shared history— and comes together in spite of it. 

In York County, South Carolina, two halves of the Simril(l) family exist: the white side, descended from slave holders, and the Black side, descended from people enslaved on the Simril plantation. The two were segregated for over a century— unaware of their shared background— until Spenser Simrill began reaching out to others with the same last name 11 years ago, in the hopes of learning more about his family's clouded history. What he and his newfound relatives uncovered was a complicated legacy built around slavery, Reconstruction Era racial terrorism, and the unbelievable villains and heroes at the center of it.  

As they prepare for their 2025 reunion celebration, Spenser Simrill and Michael Simril continue their search to unearth more of the Simril(l) story. They investigate their ancestors' violent run-ins with Klansmen in the county, as well as their family's 1871 migration to Liberia in pursuit of economic prosperity.  Together, the Simril(l)s of today consider how their blended families can share resources moving forward, enrich each other's lives, and serve as a blueprint for racial healing.  

"The Simril(l) lineage is full of remarkable characters who were unafraid to challenge power at fraught times in our nation's history," said Sidner.  "I was so taken not only with their story, but also their ability to embrace it with such grace and dignity. As we look to the Juneteenth holiday, I see this family as a model for how we can all reckon with our pasts to forge a better, more united future."