Black History Highlighted By the Spirit of Sankofa

By Jennifer L. Warren

NEWBURGH – The names resonate with deep, historical significance, serving as landmark staples, while providing a treasured, revered foundation to a City’s preserving legacy.

Floyd (Buddy) Lewis, Chester Johnson, Doris Shaw, Reverend Dr. Nelson McAllister, JoAnne P., the McClearn Family and Ms. Woody are individuals who profoundly shaped the unique, rich and continually, upwardly evolving narrative of the City of Newburgh. Their individual plights, rippling with determination, courage and grit, have now been majestically captured in a new documentary, The Spirit of Sankofa: Echoes of Newburgh, whose premiere showing was unveiled Saturday at a special Celebration of Black History 2025, hosted by the Newburgh Sankofa Project. Aimed at paying tribute to Black joy, contributions and triumphs which have honed the City and community, the Project’s emphasis, true to its Sankofa namesake, is laser-focused on looking back in order to propel forward.

“I love Newburgh,” affirmed one of the Project’s collaborators, Malinda Ware, who also had an art exhibit, deeply rooted in African History, at the event. “The word Sankofa, which you are going to learn all about today, is about reaching back, which is very symbolic, having to do with standing on the shoulders of those who paved the way; we live in a place here in Newburgh that is very rich in history.”

That deep past is enveloped in personal stories, ones Ware, along with co-collaborator, Joy Young, were intent on telling when they reached out to filmmaker, Paul Thompson, who helped to creatively weave together the potent narratives of Black Newburgh legends. Guided by that past and present Sankofa connection, the film project, which started in 2023, had multiple layers of purpose.

“When I interviewed people, it wasn’t so much about urban renewal as about the rich stories people had growing up here in Newburgh, and we wanted to connect that to a Black History event,” explained Young. “Age is nothing but a number when it comes to this documentary; the legacies these people left behind are incredible, especially important for our youth, so that they can know their history.”

Those very real lessons are immediately brought to life as the film opens with an ensemble of melodic hymn verses as images from a 1950’s Newburgh era fill the screen. An introductory narration follows, “In the heart of Newburgh, past and present are one, carrying the legacy of ancestors toward the future with hope and progress.”

Soon after, images of Newburgh icons acutely describe some of their authentic recollections of Newburgh 70 plus years ago, “the place where from 17k, you can see Broadway all the way to the water.” We are also made privy to the vast numbers of people who headed here from the south with prospects of farm picking which quickly transitioned to more lucrative factory work, making such items as pocketbooks, evolving into entrepreneurship- bars, hair salons and other lucrative business ventures-realized through tenacity and sheer, hard work.

“Everybody worked; in fact, they had two-three jobs,” one of the interviewees related.
“We were hired right on the spot,” explained another.

The tight-knit bonds that defined the era were also captured. Comments such as; “We supported one another,” “We were a very close community,” and “We looked out for each other,” along with allusions to the Community Workers Association, Glenn Hines Center, Lander Street Community Center, and other City of Newburgh gems further helped shape the type of world these Newburgh trailblazers inhabited. The documentary also provides a darker side of Newburgh’s past, one defined by disturbing urban renewal attempts, tense, racial riots, and the unsettling times and their local impact of the Civil Rights Movement.
Following the film, the interview subject matter were all recognized with certificates and praise for their indelible footprints on the City, inspiring journeys-chocked fill of old school values imperative to relay to our youth, and their simple presence, filled with bright light.

Johnson, who recently passed away, was provided with a special tribute. Each City of Newburgh legacy was a powerful reminder of how “Newburgh, staying focused, can move forward and make a difference.”

“When there is controversy, you stand up, and you can create change,” said Dr. Reverend McAllister, who has called Newburgh home since 1951, after receiving his recognition contributing to the film’s realization. “If I can help someone when I pass through this life, it would not be in vain; anything great can come out of Newburgh.”