Beaumont’s Black History: A Neighborhood Story

They Will Talk About Us: The Charlton-Pollard Story
In LUTV Production’s documentary, “They Will Talk About Us: The Charlton-Pollard Story,” a young documentarian interviews a reluctant historian about the origins of the oldest Black neighborhood in Beaumont, Texas. “They Will Talk About Us: The Charlton-Pollard Story” premiered in front of an audience of over three hundred fifty people at the Jefferson Theatre in Beaumont in February 2022. The project has been accepted to the Prison City Film Festival, the Orlando International Film Festival, and the San Antonio International Black Film Festival. In October 2022, “They Will Talk About Us: The Charlton-Pollard Story” was named “Best Documentary Short” at the Urban Media Makers Film Festival in Atlanta. Production opportunities such as “They Will Talk About Us: The Charlton-Pollard Story” allows students to participate in hands-on learning and practical work experiences. Throughout the years, LUTV Productions has received recognition and awards from entities such as the Press Club of Southeast Texas, the Houston Press Club’ Lone Star Awards, and film festivals across the country.  Watch the documentary. 

The Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood 
The “Southend” or Charlton-Pollard was established by Charles Pole Charlton, a freed slave that came to Beaumont in 1869 who established schools for Black residents along with Reverend Woodson Pipkin. Charlton’s son Terry, along with Titus Thomas Pollard, were principals of the black schools who combined their efforts to form Charlton-Pollard High School in 1924.

Along with thriving in education, the community was a mecca for industry and culture in Southeast Texas. Doctors’ offices, markets, restaurants, and other businesses generated revenue that stayed in the neighborhood. Night clubs featured acts such as James Brown, Ray Charles, and Jimi Hendrix who performed on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” that traveled through Beaumont. In the 1970s, the neighborhood help solidify Beaumont as the “Professional Football capital of The National Football League.”

Gordon S. Williams is the Lamar University Television Studio Operations Manager and adjunct instructor for LUTV News. He is an award-winning content creator whose projects have screened at over seventy film festivals and earned distribution deals from entities such as Amazon Video and Shorts International. In February 2021, he was selected as the “Entertainment Honoree” by the Southeast Texas Martin Luther King, Jr. Support Group for his contributions to the area. In October 2021, Williams was asked to participate as a presenter for the East Texas Historical Association meeting to talk about “The Example.” In March 2023, he presented research on the 1943 Beaumont Race Riot at the Texas State Historical Association Meeting in El Paso. Gordon is a board member of the Boomtown Film Festival, the Center for Culture and History of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast, and an advisor for the Jefferson County Historical Commission.