Heritage Montgomery Premieres ‘Community Cornerstones’ (Video)
Between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, 40 African American churches were constructed in Montgomery County.
Heritage Montgomery has produced a new 60-minute documentary video featuring five of these historic church communities. MyMCMedia’s Valerie Bonk attended the “world premiere” of the film where members of the church congregations saw the documentary for the first time.
A surprise performance by the stars of the film themselves had the audience on their feet. The long awaited premiere brought the history of African-American churches in Montgomery County to center stage.
“It’s so touching, we have some people who are almost 100 years old so they’ve gone through the whole segregation, integration a lot of them were teachers so they taught in Black schools and then they integrated into mixed schools and the strength and the love of the communities has just kept the story going,” said Peggy Erickson, the former director of Heritage Montgomery.
The documentary titled “Community Cornerstones” includes stories from church elders who explain how these church communities developed through the years and how their impact helped shape the County’s history.
“As folks grow up and get older and move away you don’t have the support for those churches that you once had and with development and you know people just moving it’s something we might lose and it’s a very special part of Montgomery County,”said Sarah Rogers, executive director of Heritage Montgomery.
Telling these stories was important to the stars of the documentary.
“I would just like for them to know the beginning of how we started as African-Americans, that was the center point in the Quince Orchard community,” said Ida Pearl Green, a member of Fairhaven United Methodist Church.
“I’m hoping it’s for the future of the people of Emory Grove and all of our families will get to know how their families and parents and grandparents and people like me grew up in the church,” said Janet Dorsey, a member of Emory Grove United Methodist Church.
County officials in attendance at the premiere said documenting these stories is momentous for the church communities.
“Getting this on film and talking to many of the people who were involved while they are still living and reflecting our rich culture and heritage in Montgomery County and also our spiritual heritage I think goes hand and glove with the heritage and history of the county and provides a legacy for our young people to follow in the future,” said County Executive Ike Leggett.
“In every community the church is one of the cornerstones around which communities grow and I’ve always found that keeping in touch with our faith communities is the best way to find out what people are really thinking,” said Montgomery County Councilmember George Leventhal.
Because of high demand, a second showing of the film was added for March 25.
Find more information about the documentary on Heritage Montgomery’s website here.
Related:
Heritage Montgomery Premieres 'Community Cornerstones' (Video)
Between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, 40 African American churches were constructed in Montgomery County. Heritage Montgomery has produced a new 60-minute documentary video featuring five of these historic church communities. MyMCMedia’s Valerie Bonk attended the “world premiere” of the film where members of the church congregations saw the documentary for the […]
Heritage Montgomery to Premiere Documentary on Historic Churches
Between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, 40 African American churches were constructed in Montgomery County. In a unique “world premiere,” Heritage Montgomery will show its new 60-minute documentary profiling five of these historic church communities where generations of black families created their own spiritual, social and educational opportunities. The documentary titled “Community Cornerstones,” […]
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