Presented
for free (with ticket) by the Dreamland. The 40 minute film will be followed by
a conversation with the filmmakers, subjects and interviewees.
A new
documentary film, Nantucket’s Historic Coloured Cemetery: Stories Told By
Nantucketers, is set to illuminate the lives of Civil War veterans, fugitives,
abolitionists, and whaling captains interred in one of the island’s most
significant burial grounds. Produced by Nantucket historians Frances Karttunen
and Barbara Ann White, the film seeks to share these stories with the wider
public.
Directed by
award-winning filmmaker Paul G. Sanderson III of Our Town Films, the
documentary, told as an oral history, delves into the lives of notable figures
such as the Rev. James Crawford, a fugitive from slavery who became a
long-serving pastor on the island, Arthur Cooper, who sought refuge for himself
and his family on Nantucket after escaping slavery, and Lucinda Gordon Cooper,
who was taken from Africa before the American Revolution and survived until
after the American Civil War. Through
heartfelt storytelling, the film brings to life the experiences of these
individuals and others, highlighting their resilience and contributions to
Nantucket's rich cultural tapestry.
The site
dates to the late 1700s, when a surge of people, many of them formerly
enslaved, established a community on the edge of town and began burying their
dead on the south side of Mill Hill.
"This
film is a tribute to the remarkable individuals who, despite facing immense
challenges, left an indelible mark on our island's history," said Frances
Karttunen. "By sharing their stories, we hope to honor their legacy and
ensure that their contributions are remembered."
Black
cemeteries throughout the United States have been paved over, dug up or
generally neglected. Karttunen and White received funding to make a film as a
way to use Nantucket's well-preserved historic burial ground to acquaint the
public with Nantucket's Black history.
Both White
and Karttunen, Nantucket Cemetery Commissioners and affiliates of the Black
Cemetery Network, wrote the film’s script, which is narrated by 22 islanders,
21 of whom are Black or people of color, and range in age from 10 to 90 years
old.
“I think it’s important that we don’t lose who
we are and when and where we’ve been,” said Venessa Raab Moore, a
multi-generational Black and Cape Verdean islander. “This film is continuing
the education purposes that our community needs, so that we’re not forgotten.
The film is
a project of the Town of Nantucket Cemetery Commission and was funded by the
Nantucket Offshore Wind Fund through the Community Foundation for Nantucket.
NOTE: Prior to the screening, Join us in the HVR from 1:00–2:00 PM for a student-led poster presentation inspired by the themes of Beetlejuice Jr.
titled created during the class
"The Whole Being Dead Thing - Celebrating Tradition, Culture, and the Afterlife". Explore how students connected the stage to the community—and beyond—through their research on traditions,
celebrations, and beliefs surrounding the afterlife.