About The Film
“The Coachman” is a documentary short film about the life (1887 - 1946) of a local African-American domestic worker in Albemarle County, Virginia for one of the area's most distinguished estates. He came from slaves, held a position of prestige, enjoyed love, and endured heartache and loss. He lived through Jim Crow, The Great Depression, Great Migration, WWI, and WWII. And though he died with a less glamorous social status, he built a family of people willing to work hard and strive for greater heights. This film is about researching the past and getting to know your ancestry.
"People just didn't talk to the children enough. And you know someday they want to know......they wan to know."
- Alice Chapman Miller Arnette (Grand-daughter of The Coachman)