DOCUMENTARY
Legacy of Courage
Legacy of Courage is a 19-minute documentary produced by students as part of Mapping Du Bois' THE WARD. Featuring interviews and primary source materials, it explains the significance of Du Bois’ book, The Philadelphia Negro, and shares the story of Ronnie Hodges and Jimmy Calnan’s chance meeting on Camac Street where Ronnie told Jimmy that her grandmother, Veronica James, was born in his house.
The Making of the Documentary
Malik Neal and Haftom Khasai, then high school students at West Philadelphia Catholic High School, pose with Mayor Michael Nutter after interviewing him for the documentary.
Amy Hillier met Haftom Khasai and Malik Neal, then high school juniors, at the state-level History Day competition on Penn State’s campus in 2007. They were representing Philadelphia with their documentary about cryptology. Amy invited them to visit her at Penn to talk about making a documentary about Du Bois and The Philadelphia Negro.
We started by borrowing video equipment from the Weigle Information Commons at Penn’s library, eventually purchasing our own camera, microphones, and tripod. We set up interviews with Du Bois scholars Anthony Monteiro and Tukufu Zuberi, filmmaker Louis Massiah, and novelist Diane McKinney-Whetstone.
We began setting up interviews and filming experts before we had a script in mind. Eventually, Amy attended an evening course at Scribe Video Center and created the first treatment and script. Summer interns from Haverford College and talented visual artist Alexa Kutler, with Haftom, produced the final version.
Story of Miss Veronica
The documentary tells the story of Veronica James who was born in 1910 at 418 Camac Street, a small three-story “trinity” row house in the Seventh Ward.
She lived there with her family, including her grandmother Nellie Braxton, who had been born into slavery. The family later moved to North Philadelphia. Years later, her granddaughter Ronnie took photos of the home while working nearby, honoring the memory.
Homeowners Jimmy Calnan and Rob Baker invited Veronica back. Neighbors organized a block party and the City Council honored her. She passed shortly after. Jimmy Calnan passed in 2022.
Rob Baker and Jimmy Calnan hosted Miss Veronica James at their Seventh Ward home, where she was born. Images courtesy of Jimmy Calnan.
Documentary Credits
Produced by Amy Hillier, filmed by Haftom Khasai and Malik Neal, edited by Haftom Khasai, Patrick Lozado, Alexa Kutler, Julia Dunbar, Katie Schaeffer, and Malik Neal. Funded by NEH, Samuel S. Fels Fund, and Haverford College Hurford Humanities Center. Technical assistance by Alfred James. Thanks to the Vitale Media Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.
Historical images from: Free Library of Philadelphia, Temple Urban Archives, PhillyHistory.org, UMass Amherst Du Bois Library, NY Public Library, and more. Special mention: Photograph of Engine Co. No. 11 courtesy of the family of Lt. Joseph A. Marshall.
Special thanks to Erika Kitzmiller, Anu Vadanthum, Louis Massiah, Tukufu Zuberi, Mayor Michael Nutter, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers, Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, and many others who made the project possible.
Malik Neal and Haftom Khasai prepare for an interview for the documentary.