Parity Pipeline

Parity Pipeline

Healer: The Dr. Joycelyn Elders Story

Directed by Candace Bellamy

From Sharecropper's Daughter to the First African American Surgeon General of the United States, HEALER is a documentary about the life of Dr. Joycelyn Elders.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
  • SCREENINGS
  • AWARDS
  • CREDITS

Genre

Synopsis

HEALER tells the story of Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first African American Surgeon General, whose fearless honesty and bold vision for public health made her a groundbreaking leader—and a lightning rod for controversy. From picking cotton in rural Arkansas to tackling teen pregnancy, expanding healthcare access, and challenging taboos around sex education, Elders defied systemic barriers of race, gender, and politics. Appointed by President Clinton in 1994, her uncompromising truth-telling and commitment to children’s health ultimately led to her early resignation—but left a legacy that continues to inspire and transform American public health.


Director Identity

Bio

Candace Bellamy is a filmmaker, physician, musician, and emerging executive coach whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, service, and care. Drawing from her experience as a civilian physician in the U.S. military system, she approaches each project with a commitment to empathy, clarity, and honoring lived experience.


Her first documentary, Healer: The Dr. Joycelyn Elders Story—broadcast on San Antonio PBS and screened in classrooms across the country—follows the remarkable journey of the first African American U.S. Surgeon General. Through Candace’s lens, Dr. Elders’ story becomes an accessible portrait of leadership, perseverance, and impact.


Candace’s current film, Daughters of the Soil: The Story of Black Cowgirls, explores the long-overlooked contributions of Black women to the American West. While the film is rooted in history, it is told through the lives of modern cowgirls, whose daily work, challenges, and triumphs help illuminate a legacy that has too often gone unrecognized. Filmed in a vérité style, the project brings audiences into intimate moments that show not only who these women are today, but how their stories help us understand the past more fully.


Candace Bellamy creates films that open doors—to understanding, to reflection, and to a richer, more complete picture of our shared history.


Screening History

Black History Film Festival 2024

Harlem International Film Festival 2024

Bronze Lens Film Festival 2024

San Antonio Film Festival 2024

Made in Arkansas Film Festival 2024

Awards History

Made in Arkansas Film Festival 2024 Best Documentary Feature

Panther City Film Festival 2024 Best Documentary

Credits

Lead Subject, Dr. Joycelyn Elders

Shuling Yong, Cinematographer, Sound Mixer

Cai Thomas, Cinematographer

Marty Robbins, Editor

Anya Swanson, Editor