Central State University communications students are producing a radio documentary about the great 1913 Dayton flood.
“This radio documentary has taught me a lot about how to collaborate with others and to deliver someone else’s story with passion like it’s my own,” junior Zaria Brown said.
The in-progress documentary is based on a book by Dr. Johnnie L. Freeman titled ”The Forgotten: Hidden Heroes (Dayton 1913 Flood).” Freeman was looking for a way to reach a broader audience when he and WCSU general manager Robert Franklin came up with the idea of involving students in a radio documentary.
“What better way to get my story out to the world than through the millennials,” Freeman said. “This generation shares, likes, and posts everything.”
Students have been working on the documentary since August. They are interviewing historians and other experts, editing footage, and participating in reenactments. Students have also created a website to promote the book and documentary. The entire production should be completed by the end of fall term.
Brown said she’s enjoyed being part of the documentary team and has learned a great deal about the 1913 flood, including the role of 500 black men from
Chicago who came to Dayton after the flood to help restore the city.