Princeville, North Carolina sits atop wet, swampy land along the Tar River.
In the 1800s, the land was disregarded and deemed uninhabitable by white people. But after the Civil War, this indifference left it available for newly freed enslaved Africans to settle. Residents once called it ‘Freedom Hill’ before its incorporation, gradually establishing a self-sufficient, all Black town.
Resting along the floodplain of the river, Princeville and its residents are not strangers to adversity. The historical town has been inundated with flooding over the centuries…and with each flood, a little more of the small town erodes.
Watch Freedom Hill, a short film by Resita Cox.
Freedom Hill is part of the award-winning AfroPoP series which focuses on independent documentaries and short films about contemporary life, art, and culture from the African diaspora. AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange is a co-production of Black Public Media and WORLD. For more AfroPoP films, visit worldchannel.org/show/afropop.
For related videos, go to worldchannel.org/episode/afropop-local-usa-freedom-hill.
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