History Before Us Presents An Evening of Discovery Through Film
Please join us for an evening of discovery that amplifies unheralded stories through film of those who fostered influential impact in their communities
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DateApr 7, 2022
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Event Starts7:00 PM
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VenueSHOUT! Lounge & CMS Gallery
Event Details
History Before Us hosts "An Evening of Discovery" featuring the short film Sweet Home Alabama: A Chief and his Protege, which delves into the life of Charlie/Oluale Lewis and his descendant Joycelyn Davis. Charlie Lewis was a Chief aboard the Clotilda, which arrived in Mobile, Alabama illegally as the last slave ship, 52 years after the international slave trade was deemed criminal. His descendant Joycelyn Davis is a cancer survivor and spearheads many initiatives to preserve and provide education about the gripping story of AfricaTown.
The evening will also include the documentary trailer premiere of Lawrence Orr: Chronicle of a Life Fulfilled, a film about the son of formerly Enlsaved parents who grew up in the area we now call Hickory Grove.
Among his many accomplishments, he purchased 10 acres of land and encouraged other African Americans to buy land around him. He advocated for the right to vote. He and other African Americans petitioned the county school board to build four new schools for African American children in the Hickory Grove area and surrounding counties. He owned and operated a general store at the corner of Shamrock Drive and Hickory Grove Road. It was the only black-owned business in a 15-mile radius. He has a school named after him: Lawrence Orr Elementary, which sits on the land he once owned.
The evening will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Mr. Orr's descendants. The Lawrence Orr film is currently in production. Directed and Produced by History Before Us and Stack Stories.
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