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Sewickley’s African American Community Documentary Project
February 26, 2023 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center is honored to host a free community event marking the kickoff of Their Story: The History of the African American Community in Sewickley, on Sunday, Feb. 26, 5 to 7 p.m.
After last year’s first standing-room-only event to preview the digitization of photos dating back to the 1900s, collected from the Sewickley Community Center and the Daniel B. Matthews Society of St. Matthew AME Zion Church, a committee formed to advance a documentary film. Its goal is to make more widely known the untold history of Sewickley’s Black community, based upon these photos and narrative from Their Story: The History of Blacks/African Americans in Sewickley & Edgeworth, a book published in 2000 by the late Sewickley resident Bettie Cole.
The documentary is not yet completed; in fact, the work is only starting and the founding committee is encouraging community members to lend their voices, stories and memories of social and business events from the past through current times. At this kickoff planning event, more details will be shared and opportunities offered for others to join the project.
“Last year’s event was such a success that participants agreed that the community would be well served to memorialize this information in the form of a documentary,” explains Stratton Nash, co-chair of the project’s committee, alongside Gwen Strickland, Cole’s daughter.
“Our community members hold a wealth of knowledge about this important aspect of Sewickley Valley’s history,” says Strickland. “We are hoping to capture all their stories in this project.”
They will be joined on Sunday in the Community Room of The Lindsay by project committee members Beverlee Blair, Gloria Cook, Floyd Faulkner, Susan Kaminski, Shelley Murray, Stratton Nash III, Joyce Parker, Bob Patterson, Dorinda Taylor, Brett Wormsley and June Wormsley.
Those planning to attend this free event are encouraged to RSVP at [email protected]. Light refreshments will be served.
On Sundays, metered parking on the street and in the municipal lot adjacent to the Theater is free.
