Kathleen Sanders undertook the critical task of documenting and sharing the story of her paternal grandmother, Katie Johnson Warren. This 20-minute documentary not only provides the historical context of her grandmother's life as a laundress "washer woman" who later became a sought-after clairvoyant but also underscores the urgent and significant importance of preserving family history.
It took two and a half years after the monumental 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which freed African Americans from slavery, for the news of Emancipation to reach those enslaved in Texas on June 19, 1865. This significant event led to the establishment of Freedman's Towns, with many African Americans in Texas, including Katie Johnson, moving to Dallas. She arrived in Dallas in 1891 at the age of 19. 
She settled in Freedman Town, a once-thriving North Dallas community that was the largest segregated African American enclave in Dallas and one of the largest in the country. This community, started by black pioneers during Reconstruction, overcame significant adversity to succeed and thrive.

Katie Johnson Warren   Herstory - Life in North Dallas Freedman Town

Through the story of her grandmother, Katie Johnson Warren—a former washer woman who became a revered clairvoyant—filmmaker Kathleen Sanders traces Black migration, resilience, and life in Dallas’s Freedman Town, underscoring the vital act of preserving family history.

The Hamilton Park Way is a documentary, filmed by Soulstice Consultancy and edited by Highly Unlikely Entertainment, that details the history of and pride in the Hamilton Park community. Hamilton Park is a planned Black community in North Dallas, Texas, that was created out of a lack of housing and several bombings that occurred around the city. 
Soulstice Consultancy collaborated with community members and leaders in Hamilton Park for nine months to learn about and capture their communal and individual stories. From original homeowners to current residents and from former community leaders to current ones, Soulstice Consultancy attempted to include the voices of every generation in Hamilton Park. 
We hope you watch, learn more about this beautiful community, and enjoy!

The Hamilton Park Way

The Hamilton Park Way chronicles the history, resilience, and pride of Hamilton Park, a planned Black community in North Dallas, through the voices of residents across generations.

Stories That Built Us: Katie Johnson Warren  Herstory - Life in North Dallas Freedman Town and The Hamilton Park Way

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