By Daniel L. Bamberg
A PBS film crew and Pulitzer Prize winning author believe that the city of Centreville kept them from filming at Cahaba River Historic Park over the weekend of Saturday, March 27th.
Filmmaker Sam Pollard, along with producers and crewmembers for the upcoming documentary, “Slavery By Another Name,” were in Centreville with great interest in using the park. The film is based on Douglas Blackmon’s Pulitzer prize winning book of the same name. Blackmon who is a Senior National Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal is also a producer for the film, and was the person who directly contacted Centreville Mayor Tommy Bamberg about using the recreational facility.
According to Blackmon when he first asked to use the facility, he was informed that the park’s pavilions had been booked for the length of time that the film crew would be in town. Blackmon further suggests that when asking Bamberg if there would be a more suitable time for the park to be used in the filming, the Centreville Mayor began stating his personal objections to the film’s content.
Mayor Bamberg sent Blackmon and email, which read, “I do object to this being filmed in our park. I also object to it being filmed in our city. We are a quiet, small town and I don’t want this to cause any controversy.”
The film’s content, like the book deals with the state’s convict lease program following the emancipation of the slaves. Blackmon’s historical document outlines an argument that southern states were arresting African-Americans on unsubstantiated charges only to lease them out to work camps, thus “slavery by another name.”
Attorney Mike Hobson who represents the City of Centreville contacted Blackmon following the author/producer’s questions about the mayor’s statement.
“We could not grant them a permission to film or the use of any other recording media for a commercial production, in the City of Centreville or in the river park, in the absence of a specific resolution passed by our City Council and a business license issued by our Clerk,” explained Hobson.
The City Attorney then expressed that a ordinance established in 2001 required a film crew to receive a business license for ”movie making”.”
Hobson then suggested that there were other persons in Bibb County who could suggest the use of alternative historic sites, which would be more suitable for the short notice the production crew was presenting.
In fact, over the weekend that the crew wanted to use the park, Judy Herron and other members of the Better Hometown Group allowed the film crew access to the Historic Bibb County Jail on the square in downtown Centreville. On Monday morning, March 28 the crew did some extra shots on the square.
Blackmon suggested that the cities stance was a violation of First Amendment rights. He explained that he did not understand why rented pavilions would have disqualified the film crew from using the park, nor did he understand why the film crew fell under the restrictions of a “commercial” film company. The documentary is budgeted by donations, and is used for Public Broadcast under the purposes of historical documentation and education.
Hobson explained that there was no direct or indirect violation of anyone’s First Amendment rights. He expressed that the city had to uphold certain laws pertaining to the use of public property. He also explained that the film crew was never banned from entering the park, only from filming inside of it. Hobson also offered alternatives.
According to Blackmon, the producers contacted Centreville as early as March 11 for use of the park, but as of Thursday, March 24 there were no accommodations made.
After meeting with Mayor Bamberg, Hobson asked Blackmon for future dates and times that the film would need the use of the park for completion of the film. The City made an agreement to accommodate the film crew if, in the future, there was a schedule sent in advance.
Bibb County’s connection within the film is small but very important according to Blackmon. One of the central characters for the film as well as the book is Green Cottenham, a native of Bibb County. Cottenham was arrested on a vagrancy charge in Shelby County in 1908. Thereafter he was leased to the coalmines.
According to Blackmon, Pollard, and other crewmembers the citizens of Centreville were friendly and accommodating to them outside of this argument with City Hall members. They explained that people seemed very interested in the project and excited to be a part of it in some way.
During the composition of his book, Blackmon used a lot of research and writings from renowned historian, and Bibb County native, Rhoda C. Ellison.
“Her writings about Bibb County are some of the finest pieces of historical scholarship I ever encountered, “ explained Blackmon. “I was inspired by the way she was able to write unflinchingly and honestly about the difficult parts of the history of a place that she nonetheless so clearly loved. She understood that our history is something we all need to understand, not be afraid of. That was the philosophy of my book, and is the philosophy of the film.”
Photo - (L to R) Journalist and author, Douglas Blackmon along with line producer Daphne McWilliams and filmmaker Sam Pollard were in Centreville from Thursday, March 24 through Monday, March 28 to film portions of the upcoming PBS documentary, “Slavery By Another Name” based upon Blackmon’s Pulitzer Prize winning book of the same name. According to Blackmon Centreville Mayor Tommy Bamberg objected to the subject matter of the film. Blackmon believes this is the reason that the City of Centreville did not allow the film crew to use Cahaba River Historic Park. The City’s stance is that the parks pavilions were being leased and that the film crew did not obtain the proper business license to shoot on city public property. (photo by Daniel L. Bamberg)
As a an African American and a former Bibb county resident, I am not surprised that Mr. Blackmon was not allowed to film at the Cahaba River Historic Park. I have read this extremely well-researched book. Mr. Blackmon has touched a sore spot by revealing the unsavory practices of some of the current citizen's ancestors. Let's face it, they don't want it revealed, talked about and definitely not filmed within the city's boundaries. It happened. It's history. It was another accepted practice of the dehuminization of black males to assure a continued profit from "slave" labor. Good luck Mr. Blackmon. Awesome book!
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