DURHAM -- Documentary filmmakers Victor Stone, Jaisun McMillian and Kelvin De'Marcus Allen and longtime local educator Beverly Washington Jones are teaching fourth- and fifth-graders about Durham's once bustling Hayti community through the "Summer Road to Success" program at Mount Vernon Baptist Church.
McMillian, Stone, Allen and Jones are helping campers for two hours every Monday and Tuesday develop their own documentary on the Hayti community.
Armed with video footage from their documentary in progress, "Hayti the Heritage: The Legacy of Black America," a dry erase board, nifty 'wordfind' handouts and feeding off the energy of the campers, Stone, McMillian, Allen and Jones take turns extolling the value of exploring the past as a way to create a successful future.
"We are providing them the history of Hayti to enhance their understanding of their culture -- but more importantly how Hayti nurtured character, social values and entrepreneurship," Jones said. "In our day and age the focus doesn't appear to be on character development. If they learn anything from this camp we hope these students will redefine the importance of family values, character and commitment to community."
Jones is a retired provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at N.C. Central University.
"We want to encourage a spirit of cooperation across race, class and gender," Jones said.
Campers receive instruction in interviewing techniques, camera operation and editing. They augment their understanding of historic Hayti, by touring Hayti and creating their own version of the historic community. On June 29 in a mock community gathering students elected a mayor and city council representatives and drafted a community economic development plan.
On Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Baptist Church Education Building, 1007 S. Roxboro St., the official swearing-in ceremony will take place. Actual Durham Mayor Bill Bell will preside over the ceremony.
While most of the Hayti community's commercial district fell victim to urban renewal bulldozers during the 1960s, there are still more than enough stories left of the community's 'heyday' as one of the country's most vibrant African-American communities.
"Hayti is known throughout the country for its accomplishments as a community and the success of future generations' hinges on their understanding of Hayti's glorious past," said Allen a writer and one of the filmmakers involved in the project. "The challenges of today's world require that young people have more than a rudimentary knowledge of their community's history, in order for young people to truly be successful, they must know and possess the wherewithal to make use of both their familial and community's history."
"We have documented numerous stories from which campers selected two residents who actually lived and worked in Hayti," said McMillian. "J.C. 'Skeepie' Scarborough and Panzola Cheatham-McMillan have agreed to share their oral histories in hope of bringing to life the true character of this historic community for our students."
The "Summer Road to Success" is a 21st Century Community Learning Center program at Mount Vernon Baptist Church and is funded by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The goal of the program is to help students raise their level of academic achievement and enhance their social development.
For more information about the Summer Road to Success program contact Ingrid Jones at (919) 672-2090.
