Chardonnay Beaver: Documenting Legacy and Community in Seattle
Photos by Cydney Stephens
Recently on The Day with Trae, host Trae Holiday spoke with Chardonnay Beaver, a multimedia storyteller and author. Beaver came on the show to talk about her upcoming screening for her documentary "Fulfill The Promise: The Rise. The Fall. The Promise." at Mt. Zion Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. The event is on Saturday, July 20th, 2024, from 2 pm to 5 pm, and will also include a singing for Beaver's newest book, "Words of Wisdom: A Compilation of Life Principles, Inspired by Truth & Guided by Purpose Vol. 1."
“This project was just so important to me,” Beaver said. “I think about a story that really anchored me through this process. It wasn't too long ago that I graduated from college, and I needed something to ground me while I was going through this. I think about the story of a young leader.”
Beaver shared the story of a young leader who dreams that God comes to him, offering to grant whatever he desires. The young leader, feeling the weight of his responsibilities, contemplates his request. Instead of asking for fame or fortune, he asks for wisdom to lead and guide the people, acknowledging that their lives, and even his own, are not his to control. Impressed by the selflessness of his request, God not only grants him wisdom and an understanding heart but also bestows upon him everything he did not ask for.
“I gleaned from that story because God told him, ‘I could give you wisdom and I will give you an understanding heart, but I'm gonna give you everything you didn't ask for because of where your heart was,’” Beaver said. “I'm missing pieces in the story, but needless to say, that was the heart I needed to have when doing this documentary and when publishing this book.”
The 90-minute documentary delves into the cultural impact of Seattle's Central District, highlighting the late Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney's initiatives to combat systemic poverty. The film addresses various topics, including the Great Migration, redlining, the Urban Renewal Program, and the Black Church's role in the community.
This documentary was her first attempt at filmmaking. Beaver had to take responsibility as a leader, saying, "Hey, this is the vision. How do we bring each other's greatness, our purpose, our heart, our passion to bring this forth?" And that's what she and her team did. They started filming not even a week and a half before Christmas. Between September 2023 and May 2024, she worked on the project, a process that stretched her but left her proud. Alongside the filming, she was also writing her book.
“This is the through line of my life, and I talk about this in the first entry of my book,” Beaver said. “My book is no more than 100 pages, and it consists of entries I've compiled from the columns I've been writing for my family's newspaper, The Facts, over the past four years. The first entry is about my purpose and how I knew from a young age that I had a purpose and a meaning.”
Beaver's parents instilled in her the value of pursuing purpose rather than promoting happiness. She feels this focus on purpose is a guiding light in everything she does. This journey has taken her through various experiences, including overcoming perfectionism and battles with self-worth, which she discusses in her book. These challenges have shaped her into the person she is today and the woman she aspires to be—someone who is healthy, contributive, and whose vertical relationship with Christ positively impacts her horizontal relationships. Beaver emphasizes that her faith is a source of strength and inspiration in all her endeavors. In both her documentary and book, her heart and passion are evident.
"This documentary is epic for me because it's not just about the McKinney Center for Community and Economic Development, a building that has been standing on 22nd and South Jackson Street for over 50 years now. It's about the community that houses that building,” Beaver said. “It's about my great-great-grandfather, who migrated to Seattle by way of the railway as an orphan escaping lynchings in the South. We cover many different layers and topics, from the Great Migration story to the crack epidemic. We specifically focus on the Central District and how this building has evolved along with the community."
The documentary is done in collaboration with Mount Zion's history and archive. Mount Zion has been archiving its history since its inception, a practice that is rare among churches. Beaver felt it was fitting to add this documentary to that lineage of history and community.
This event is free and open to the public, but RSVP is necessary. Please visit Eventbrite to RSVP. To stay updated on Beaver's work and learn more about her, visit linktr.ee/chardonnaybeaver.
For more on local authors in Seattle, tune in with Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
