In the heart of the 1855 Antebellum South, slavery is the business that fuels the engine of America. After Jessie Calhoun, a young boy, witnesses the brutal punishment of a family member who decided to escape the plantation, the Calhoun family must make a critical decision, decide if they want to stay and continue to face the everyday tyranny, or risk their lives in hopes of finding a better tomorrow. However, in this warped reality, the Calhoun family legacy is unable to escape the oppression, as through centuries of time, the horrors experienced still haunt them. “Hands Up,” is a story of how the effects and trauma of slavery have impacted and infected America today.