***UPDATE: December 2025***

Welcome Friends!

We want to thank all of you for your invaluable support. Most recently, we appreciate our friends at Northwest Documentary for their assistance with our project and our good friends at Coming to the Table for their encouragement. We are living in difficult times when erasing history is commonplace. Thank you so much for helping to bring our story to light! We're working hard to raise the remaining funds needed to finish editing the documentary. Continue to take good care of yourselves. More soon!

INTRODUCTION TO THE FILM

At a time of significant pushback on the teaching of "whole truth" history in our schools and book banning throughout the country, this timely educational film explores the question: Why is it important to tell the truth about history? With a focus on Virginia, Part I of this docuseries shot in Richmond, Charlottesville and Arlington includes commentary by local artists, teachers, students, librarians, historians, family historians, faith leaders, social justice advocates, and others. We ride the rivers and walk the land that brought enslaved people to the shores of Virginia and to the places of their bondage and resistance. And we explore the legacies of enslavement and what it will take for our country to repair and heal. Part II of the film is shot in Kentucky and focuses on the under-told experience of forced migration west for enslaved people.

The documentary's ancestral guiding light is Matilda (Lewis) Threlkeld, the enslaved 3rd great grandmother of the film's producer. Both the film's director (Loria King) and producer (Pam Smith) are descendants of people enslaved by Thomas Jefferson and his sister, Lucy Jefferson Lewis. Our goal is to elevate perspectives that are sometimes obscured by a small but loud group seeking to propel the United States backwards. This film screening is for anyone interested in strengthening our fragile democracy and fighting for the right to read and know the truth.

Please join us on this journey. Help us engage students and ordinary people. Be a part of the counter-narrative that embraces the truth of our collective past as we imagine beyond it to a fair and shared tomorrow. Thank you!

FROM THE FILMMAKERS:

Greetings, I'm Loria King (director), a filmmaker and photographer dedicated to showcasing the multifaceted experiences of Black Americans. Through my project "Black America Is...," I've delved into the depth of Black identity in the United States.

My journey of discovery is deeply ingrained in me, fueled by the stories shared by my late grandfather, Hossick Jefferson, born in 1903. Hossick, too, was an enslaved descendant of Thomas Jefferson's family, though he didn't like to talk about it. He was keenly aware of how his connection came to be. These narratives have shaped my commitment to highlighting the intricacies of the Black experiences in the United States.

It's an honor to collaborate with Pam Smith, whose work seamlessly aligns with my own. Pam's dedication to revealing hidden narratives resonates deeply with my mission. Together, we're embarking on a journey to create an educational film that celebrates Matilda (Lewis) Threlkeld's story, honors all of our enslaved ancestors, and contributes to historical truth-telling. Your support will help us amplify marginalized voices in our history.

Hi Everyone,

I'm Pam Smith (producer), a historian, genealogist and independent researcher. I am a native Chicagoan currently living in Portland, Oregon. My ancestral ​roots stretch from Virginia to Kentucky, Missouri, Cameroon & Sierra Leone. I have a passion for unearthing buried African ​American stories. I spent the better part of my career handling the media for political candidates and public officials. I am a certified Kingian Nonviolence Trainer and co-editor of The Chicago Freedom ​Movement: Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights Activism in the North. Matilda (Lewis) Threlkeld, the subject of this film, is my 3rd ​great grandmother.

We invite you to join us in this transformative endeavor. Your contribution, no matter the size, will be crucial in bringing Matilda's story to light and advancing our understanding of our shared history. Thank you for being part of this vital mission.

***UPDATE: September 2024***

Dear Friends,

Thanks to you and all our generous supporters, we had a great film shoot in Kentucky! We tracked down important buried stories in 8 towns across the state, like the 1811 murder of the enslaved boy George, Matilda's friend, by his enslavers who were Thomas Jefferson's nephews. We talked with Kentuckians of many persuasions and walks of life, older and younger alike, to understand what's missing from the story of the westward migration. Now we're raising funds to finish Part II Kentucky: Forced Migration West, including editing, music, audio mixing, color correction, graphics, clearances and support for the film team. We are also finalizing a distribution plan to ensure that the documentary reaches schools, universities, libraries, as well as faith, civic, and community groups across the country.

Our production schedule is below.

......

This film is a project of the Addie Wyatt Center for Nonviolence Training. Your donation is tax deductible. Thank you!

CURRENT: A Descendant's Journey for Truth

2023

August-October PRE-PRODUCTION for Charlottesville

October 23-28 CHARLOTTESVILLE SHOOT

November-December POST PRODUCTION LOCATION #1

2024

January-May PRE-PRODUCTION for Kentucky

July 21-27 KENTUCKY SHOOT

2025-2026

EDITING

Late Summer 2026

SCREENING OF CURRENT PART II: Forced Migration West