STATE OF THE NATION is an African American neo-horror story that follows the day to day experiences of three young friends as they navigate through a society that does not see them, at best, or, at worst; sees them as degenerate bodies deserving extermination. It does not have the tropes that define traditional horror stories. African Americans have a different experience with horror than their Caucasian counterparts. For people of color, horror is an everyday presence. It is not fear of the unknown. It is fear of the known. For African Americans to function in a modern, post-racist society, they must submerge this fear of the known, and continue to function with the knowledge that their lives have been in continuous jeopardy for over four hundred years.