Film screening to conclude Diversity in Appalachia Series at Folklife Center
The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center concludes the Diversity in Appalachia Lecture Series: Search for Identity with a discussion with filmmaker Beth Davison and a screening of her film, Dulatown, a documentary about family, race, and identity, on Monday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. and again on Tuesday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. These events are supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council and are free and open to the public.
Dula family reunions in western North Carolina include members of the black and white sides of the family. But for decades these two sides did not communicate or even acknowledge their relation. Filmmaker Beth Davison explored this story in Dulatown, a film about a community in Lenoir, North Carolina, established from land a slave owner, Alfred Dula, bequeathed to his slave, Harriet, and their eight children. Dulatown remains home to the extended Dula family and embraces its history at a bi-annual reunion where in recent years both African-American and White Dula relatives come together around their shared genealogy to acknowledge they have more in common than just a surname. Using contemporary interviews with members of the Dula family alongside historical images, this film weaves an insightful tale of history, family, race and identity.
Beth Davison(PhD Sociology) has been a faculty member at Appalachian State University since 1997. She teaches in the Department of Cultural, Gender and Global studies and is the Co-Director of University Documentary Film Services. Her documentary projects, screened internationally, include The Denim Dynasty, Eva & Moe, and now, Dulatown. She is an organizer and board member of the non-profit Boone Film Festival. She has published journal articles and book chapters on a broad range of sociological topics as well as worked on research grants totaling close to a million dollars. She and her students work with many community partners running program evaluations and documenting local stories in the high country of North Carolina.
Housed in an award-winning repurposed historic barn building on the Fairmont State University campus, the Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center is home to scholarly research, archives, publications, community programs and events, workshops, exhibitions, and undergraduate studies in folklore and museum studies. The Center is dedicated to the identification, preservation, and perpetuation of our region's rich cultural heritage.
The Diversity in Appalachia Lecture Series is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily represent those of the West Virginia Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Diversity in Appalachia Lecture SeriesFran KirkBeth DavisonDulatown
