Documenting Dorchester

Documenting Dorchester is edited footage of a doctoral student’s quest to document the history of the Dorchester Academy, located in Midway, Georgia. The Dorchester Academy was opened in 1868 in Midway, Georgia by the American Missionary Association as a school for freed slaves. It later served as Liberty County’s school for Black children until 1940 when Dorchester’s students were combined with other Black students from Liberty County and moved to the Liberty County Training School in Riceboro, Georgia. During the Civil Rights Movement, Dorchester Academy was host to thousands of men and women completing the Citizenship Education Program organized by the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition. This ongoing dissertation project takes a glimpse into the historic site and those working to preserve its history. The result is an edited short film that overviews the doctoral student’s journey as she works with others to gather historic information about Dorchester Academy and works with other interested individuals to bring recognition to this important historic site. The film (approximately 15-20 minutes) will be viewed during the presentation and the project will be discussed