The Making of a Mask
By Noble Williams
One man traces how childhood trauma shaped his identity and confronts the masks we wear to survive in an unjust world
The Making of a Mask unearths the devastating link between childhood trauma and mass incarceration. Looking back on some of the central traumas that shaped his life, filmmaker Emmanuel “Noble” Williams examines how early wounds forced him to construct a mask of self-protection and journey to reclaim his authentic self.
The film challenges audiences to confront society’s role in perpetuating masks and how we can help ourselves and others foster true healing and liberation. It underscores the need for trauma-informed care and dedicated healing spaces for youth, alongside peer-led reentry and mentorship programs that center accountability and community support.
We are calling for the end of life sentences and lifetime parole for emerging adults aged 18–21, replacing punitive approaches with restorative pathways that honor the potential for growth, transformation, and second chances.
About the Issue
Youth justice systems across the U.S., including in Massachusetts, are failing to adequately address the high prevalence of childhood trauma among system-involved youth. Research shows that a vast majority of justice-involved children have experienced significant trauma, including exposure to violence, housing instability, and family separation.
Yet, the system’s default response remains punitive detention rather than therapeutic intervention. This reality highlights the urgent need for policies that replace detention with trauma-informed, community-based healing programs, address gender and racial disparities, and promote accountability through empathy and support.
*Despite Black children accounting for only 15% of the nation’s youth population, in 2021, over 30% of the 265,600 children arrested in the United States were Black. Similarly, 41% of youth incarcerated in the United States are Black. In 2021, there were 2,000 kids under the age of 18 held in jails, and approximately 85% of them were being held as adults. Unfortunately, children of color are much more likely to face sentencing as adults compared to White children for the same and lesser offenses.*