By Patrice Conwell, PeeTee Communications
WHNT News 19 will premiere “The Church Street Story” on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
The documentary shines a light on the era when Church Street served as the business, religious, and social center for black residents in Huntsville-Madison County.
“The Church Street Story” shares the memories of several African American residents who took part in the thriving corridor that started at the train tracks on Church
Street, extended down to Clinton, and from Holmes and Church over to Jefferson.
“I remember going to the Princess Theater and getting hotdogs and a grape milkshake,” recalls Hundley Batts, local businessman and founder of WEUP Radio Station and one of those interviewed. “That was the first time I’d ever seen a grape milkshake.”
Others remember those who came from the “country” – the county areas surrounding Huntsville – and spent the entire day on Church Street, taking care of business, shopping, and socializing with friends.
With five churches in the corridor – four located right on Church Street – it was also a natural hub for Huntsville’s Civil Rights Movement. One of the churches hosted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he visited the city.
A drive down Church Street today belies its significance to the black community and to the city at large. That’s why telling the story to those who don’t know its past is important for those who lived it.
“It’s good to know about all the thriving black businesses that were on Church Street,” says Olivia Brandon, another featured resident. “Whatever you needed was right there, which is no longer the case.”
“The Church Street Story” is the first bicentennial event from African Americans for Completing the Story in Huntsville-Madison County. The documentary will air on two additional dates: Sunday, Feb. 17 at 12:30 p.m. on WHNT2 and Saturday, Feb. 23 at 11:30 a.m. on WHNT News 19.
For more information about other events from African Americans for Completing the Story in Huntsville-Madison County, visit the website www.completingthestoryAL200.org.