It is thanks to Henry Clay Anderson, a professional photographer who lived and worked in Greenville, Mississippi, that we have these photos. Anderson established Anderson Photo Service in Greenville in 1948. Throughout the ’50’s and ’60’s, he photographed every aspect of his relatively prosperous black community, recording the daily lives of the men and women who built the Greenville schools, churches, and hospitals that served their segregated society. He photographed family gatherings, weddings, funerals, and events at the black high school. He photographed nightclub musicians, itinerant entertainers, and a wide range of professionals at work. His mission had strong political overtones.

The photographs contained in this film are works of art, but they are also historical documents. The film’s writer and director, Shawn Wilson, returned to his hometown to interview Mr Anderson as well as a variety of other members of the Greenville community. Together, these materials create a window into a world that has been overlooked in the aftermath of the civil rights movement - the community of black middle class Southerners who considered themselves first-class Americans despite living in a deeply segregated world.

The photographs have been acquired by the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC and will be on permanant display in 2016.