W. C. Taylor High School: A Legacy
2021, HD, 20 min
W.C. Taylor High School in Warrenton, Virginia was the first high school in Fauquier County to serve African American students during segregation. Principal Hazzard and Vice Principal Johnson engaged a team of seasoned educators, from 1952 - 1969, who moved students forward. They worked within a progressive model involving mutual respect, academic rigor, and community engagement.
Directed and Produced by Giovanna Chesler
Produced by W. C. Taylor High School Alumni Committee
Director of Photography Hans Charles
Written by Miranda Waddy
Editors: Miranda Waddy and Christopher Pompa
Co-Produced by Maura Ugarte
Executive Produced by Giovanna Chesler and Lisa Thrasher
Associate Producers: Miranda Waddy, Earsaline Grant Anderson, Rebekah Mejorado, Samantha Beach , Nick Napolitano
Assistant Director: Andre Wilson
Production Coordinators: Mazin Harb: Perry Jones
Professor of Documentary Directing: Maura Ugarte
Documentary Interviewers: Michael Cacciabaudo, Zachary Crooms, Brittney Flores, Drew Hallett, Sungtaek Lim, Christopher Pompa, Alicia Rodriguez, Sami Saab, Andrew Simko, Bryan Steger, Nathan Taylor, Rodrigo Vasquez
Professors of Cinematography: Hans Charles and Damien Coor
Camera Operators and Camera Assistants: Fabrizio Alberdi, Harrison Arsenault, Reinaldo Arzola, Sumona Banerji, James Barrett, Jesaline Benitez, Nicole Clavel, Blaire Collingwood, Elizabeth Cornfeld, Kaitlyn Daenzer, Ryosuke Fujiwara, Debra Fulk, Stephen Gentry, Mazin Harb, Jonathan Ibarra, Perry Jones, Robert Labandeira, Yana Litovinskaya, Adriana Lopez, Christopher Malone, Joshua McLean, Rosa Mendez Galicia, John Mullen, Christopher Oakley, Graham Russell, Abby Smith, Taylor Spears, Jordan Stelck, Gavin Thibodeau
Key Grip Andrew Jorgensen
DIT Miranda Waddy
Professor of Sound Recording Amanda Kraus
Sound Recordists: Conor Armstrong, Nicholas Barta, Lucy Berry, Camille Brayshaw, Brianna Cabassa, Capaso Casino, Holden Conner, Elizabeth Cornfeld, John Coughlin, Katherine Cowan, Devin Easley, Sanders Evans, Billy Ferguson, Debra Fulk, Louis Garcia, Stephen Gentry, Jonathan Ibarra, Ali Jalil, Perry Jones, Sungtaek Lim, Scott Martin, Joshua McLean, Sonja Phillips-Thomas, Jalal Reha, Sami Saab, Maxwell Snyder, Avaanti Sridhar, Bryan Steger, Dylan Sullivan, Sayf Turkomani, Valeria Verastegui, James Woolard
Sound Mix Christopher Pompa
Craft Service: W. C. Taylor High School Alumni Committee, Martha Walker, Donna Benn, Janice Carswell
Production Assistants: Elisabeth Angeley + Dominique Bernardino
Still Photographer Kauri George
Behind the Scenes Director and Producer Giovanna Chesler
Behind the Scenes Co-Producer Maura Ugarte
Behind the Scenes Associate Producer Miranda Waddy
Behind the Scenes Camera and Sound: Nicole Clavel, Christopher Malone, Sonja Phillips-Thomas, John Coughlin, Brianna Cabassa, Jalal Reha
Behind the Scenes Editor Christopher Pompa
Behind the Scenes Sound Design Rick Girard
Special Thanks to the Mason Film Lab’s generous Sponsors and Contributors
Erich Roland and DC Camera
George Greene and The Washington Source
Lori Yi
Dean Rick Davis and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University
Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research at George Mason University
Thank you to all who contributed and supported telling this story
Earsaline Grant Anderson
Richard Anderson
Patsy Baltimore Edmonds
Earl Bledsoe
Hillery Braxton Jr.
Hildia Braxton Coram
Ludwell Brown
Maxie Green Brown
Mildred Brown Smith
Henry Edmonds
Brenda Fisher Yates
Joan Ford Edwards
Virginia Gibbs Carter
Juanita Gibbs Champ
Jesse Gibson
Eldon Grant
Joe Hackett
Donna Hawkins
Tommy Marshall
Geneva Muse Feemster
Levering Rector
Bernard Smith
Frank Smith
Christine Taylor Lewis
Edmonia Turner Smith
Donna Walker Benn
Major Warner
David Washington Jr.
Ellsworth Weaver
Janice Walker Carswell
Mattie Tines Yates
Ida Yates
Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County and Karen Hughes White
Dr. David Jeck, Fauquier County Public Schools Superintendent
Suzanne Sloane, Fauquier County Public Schools School Board Chairperson
Brian Gorg, Fauquier County School Board
Donald Mason, Fauquier County School Board
Donna Grove, Fauquier County School Board
Raymond “Duke” Bland, Fauquier County School Board
Carter Nevill, Mayor, Warrenton, Virginia
Fauquier County Supervisors - Lee District, Christopher T. Butler, Chair, Marshall District, Mary Leigh McDaniel, Vice Chair, Cedar Run District, Richard R. Gerhart, Center District, Christopher N. Granger, Scott District, R. Holder Trumbo, Jr.
Nicholas Napolitano, Principal, Taylor Middle School
Kraig Kelican, Interim Principal Fauquier High School
Fauquier Times, John Toler, Anita Sherman
Fauquier Now, Cassandra Brown
Dan Steel, Fauquier County GIS Department
Copyright © 2021
A G6 Pictures Production and a W.C. Taylor High School Alumni Committee Production
All Rights Reserved