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Spelman College Student Jacquelyn Johnson Wins Southeast Emmy for Documentary Film
“The Stories My Scars Tell” Highlights Chronic Illness, Disability and Healthcare Transitions
Spelman College documentary film major Jacquelyn Johnson, C’2028, earned a Southeast Regional Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for her short film, “The Stories My Scars Tell.”
The film received the Student Production Award in the Public Affairs/Community Service category, recognizing its focus on health, disability and lived experience.
"Congratulations to Jacquelyn Johnson on her cinematic achievement with her short, yet insightful film, ‘The Stories My Scars Tell’. Our documentary majors proudly gathered last week to celebrate her success," said Julie Dash, MFA, Diana King Endowed Professor in Film, Filmmaking, Television and Related Media.
“The Stories My Scars Tell” explores the realities of living with chronic illness and invisible disabilities. The film examines how personal beliefs shape identity and daily life, while also addressing gaps in the healthcare system—particularly the transition from pediatric to adult care.
Focusing on young adults ages 18 to 25, the documentary highlights the impact of physical disability alongside race, class and economic status. It raises concerns about inequities in care and the long-term effects on health outcomes for young people navigating chronic conditions.
One of her film’s subjects, Mariah Smith, spoke with Johnson about her desire to create a project focused on the scarring she was branded with from her premature birth. Johnson related to her experience, as she has been living with sickle cell disease.
“I immediately took to her perspective of going through bodily trauma that early in age, along with the evolution and social navigation that takes place,” Johnson said. Johnson created the film to highlight the physical toll her peers with sickle cell disease and other conditions experience, but in post-production, she realized it offered even more.
“It is a blessing. It expanded my perspective on not only ‘How can I make my friends feel seen?’ but ‘What is the ultimate purpose of conveying the intimate experiences of invisible disabilities?’ I hope that my audience gains perspective and empathy, using it as a weapon in a world where ignorance is just a shield,” Johnson said.
Winning the award marked an important moment in her academic journey. Johnson, an Atlanta native, was originally an economics major and a part of the class of 2024. She took a long sabbatical and she earned her esthetician license.
"My academic journey has been long and experimental. I'm not the first generation in my family to go to college, but I'm the first generation to get an education out of true abundance, not as an escape from circumstances," Johnson said. "This award has reaffirmed to me that I'm going in the right direction.”
Anjanette Levert, MFA, who as a senior lecturer taught the production class, said the film’s impact was clear to both her and the audience. “Jacquelyn's film had an emotional core that not only moved me but also the audience. She had a clear vision and her film didn’t cuddle the participants. They were beautifully portrayed. I am confident we can expect a lot more from Jacquelyn, Levert said.
Shola Lynch, Diana King Endowed Professor of Art and Visual Culture and director of the Documentary Filmmaking Program, also recognized the achievement.
"As the director of the Documentary Filmmaking Program, our entire faculty congratulates Jacquelyn Johnson. It is a noteworthy distinction to be recognized for her first short piece by the Southeast Emmys in the Public Affairs/Community Service category," Lynch said. "Her heartfelt work respectfully and insightfully highlights an issue dear to her, sickle cell awareness. Our entire faculty looks forward to developing her talent, as well as the other students, to be competitive across the documentary categories."
View a List of the Official Results from the NATAS Southeast SPA Awards 2026.