What happens when lost history is uncovered?

Charlotte Seven, a new documentary directed by Billy Price and produced by Cowboy Collective, reveals the impact. The film explores the rediscovery of long-overlooked African American history in Charlotte, North Carolina, particularly the hidden legacies of Black churches and burial grounds displaced by urban development. For the past four years, the Rev. Dr. Julia Robinson Moore, a preacher, peacebuilder, and advocate, has led a diverse team of architects, students, and historians on a powerful mission: to restore dignity to forgotten African American burial grounds in Charlotte.

“The enslaved burial grounds are still there. They're still neglected and they are sort of hidden in plain sight,” says Dr. Robinson Moore, a professor of African-American Religion at UNC Charlotte. As the director of the Preserving Sacred Spaces Initiative (PSSI) at UNC Charlotte, Dr. Moore provides substantive steps toward memorializing these historic sites, recognizing them as essential to understanding the complexities of Black and white race relations in the South. Born from Dr. Moore’s research on the role of the Presbyterian Church in Charlotte’s racial history, PSSI goes beyond restoration: it fosters reconciliation. Filmed verité style over four years, this documentary captures the initiative’s evolution in real time, following the emotional and deeply personal journeys of those working to reclaim these sacred spaces. Through intimate storytelling and observational footage, Charlotte Seven reveals the profound impact of uncovering and confronting forgotten history.

Find out more about the film.

Watch the film (23min) on Vimeo.

Contact the host of Mimesis at the Movies: Charlotte Seven

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