By Dale Smith
dsmith@hometownnewsol.com
NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Warnon Bell spent a hardscrabble life working on the railroad last century. The 88-year-old New Smyrna Beach resident said it was hard but honest work. "We ran north to south, from New Smyrna Beach to Jacksonville and down to Fort Pierce," Mr. Bell said.
The work would take him from home for several days on the train.
"Once you learned the job, the work was fun and we all enjoyed it," he said.
Retiring in 1976 after 35 years on the job, Mr. Bell probably never dreamed the story of his life would be preserved for prosperity, but a program through the Black Heritage Museum has done just that. He and several other local African-Americans have been filmed for an oral history video that will be unveiled on Nov. 14 at the Black Heritage Museum in New Smyrna Beach.
With a grant from the Florida Humanities Council, the documentary chronicles early life in the city's black communities during the era of segregation and the Civil Rights movement.
"We know the video is going to be very good. It's so important to have this kind of documentation on video for future generations to learn from," said Jimmy Harrell, video project director and a member of the Black Heritage Festival's board of directors.
Several videotaped interviews from previous years have been digitized and edited into this first-ever production of living history. The video is being produced by Document Dimensions, Inc., of Edgewater.
"This documentary is the first of several planned episodes of recorded living history," said John Ulics, owner of Document Dimensions.
His company was chosen in a bidding process by the Florida Humanities Council. This first episode is called "Coloring New Smyrna Beach: Shades of the Florida East Coast Railroad."
Mr. Ulics said the Black Heritage Museum hopes to produce other episodes in the future for its living history, delving into topics such as schools and other community life.
"This project is absolutely wonderful," Mr. Ulics said.
Mr. Ulics said the actual final product would be between one and two hours in length, but the screening of the video planned for Nov. 14 would be a shorter, edited version.
"This type of living history video is the first I've heard of in this area," Mr. Ulics said.
Mary Harrell, executive director of the museum and founder of the Black Heritage Festival, said it has been a very interesting project.
"It's been only a matter of putting things together in all the right places," she said.
One of the many museum displays is the exhibit chronicling the railroad, which played a key role in the social and economic development of the West Side community of New Smyrna Beach.
Mr. Harrell said others helping the museum with the project include Dr. Leonard Lempel, professor of history at Daytona State College; Oretha Bell, retired educator and former city commissioner in New Smyrna Beach; Montez James, retired educator; and Dr. Joye Shaffer, retired administrator at Florida State University, Panama City.
The Black History Museum was built in 1899 and was moved from Faulkner Street to its present location on North Duss Street in 1956.
Renovations were completed in 1999 with the Orlando Catholic Diocese deeding the property and building to the Black Heritage Festival.
"We've been very fortunate to have many donations from a lot of people," said Mrs. Harrell, who also contributed many of her own family's belongings and artifacts to the museum.
Photographs of older families from the 1920s adorn the walls. African art and musical instruments are displayed and old-fashioned hand tools and exquisite glassware are all on display.
The screening of the new oral history video will be held at the museum, 314 North Duss Street, on Nov. 14 from 3-5 p.m. The festivities are free and will include refreshments and entertainment.