The story of the Howard School

We live in two cities.

The first is the smart city: Volkswagen, Amazon, and a history of wealth. The second is a world away: bottom-rung public schools, food deserts, and an absurdly high crime rate.

The gap between the two grows deeper every day.

At the center of the second city, The Howard School endures as the very first black public school founded in the South, built in 1865. It’s survived a century and a half of change – eras of success and collapse. In a 2007 study, Howard was classified a “dropout factory,” with a graduation rate of 28%.

Now it is time for the students of Howard to speak for themselves—to tell their own stories. Because the children of Howard are the children of America; they are our hope and our future as much as the students of any blue-ribbon high school.

View the trailer

THE MOVIE

To request a screening, click here.

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Credits

directed by - Bethany Mollenkof
Produced by - Drew Belz, Isaiah Smallman
Camera - Students of The Howard School, Bethany Mollenkof, Kelly Lacy
Additional Camera - Keith Turner, Nick Livanos, Isaiah Smallman, Drew Belz, Annie Huntington, Quatro West
original soundtrack - Louis Wall & Joe Deboer, Jumbling Towers
animation - Michael Mahaffey, Kelly Lacy
art direction/design - Michael Mahaffey, Sara Bang
Research - Andrew Mollenkof, Jacob Davis, Cara Reed, Quatro West, Naomi Belz, Annie Huntigton
colorist - Bryan Fowler
literary consultant - Jonathan Cate
Narration - David Milligan
special thanks to - MakeWork
First Tennessee Bank
Allan Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Ted and Kelly Alling
Mr. and Mrs. Alan & Alison Lebovitz
Mr. and Mrs. Rob Huffaker Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller Welborn
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Krue and Holly Brock
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton and Kristen Brock
Mr. and Mrs. Marshal and Kim Brock
Mr. and Mrs. Caleb Ludwick
Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Peg Rustand
Mr. and Mrs. Zach Wamp
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Large
Dr. Matthew Hine and Grace Frank
Howard Alumni
Parents and teachers everywhere

Everyone brave enough to share their story

Soundtrack

The original soundtrack was composed by Louis Wall & Joe Deboer, of Jumbling Towers. To hear more
from Jumbling Towers, check out their site. Here are a few samples you’ll hear in “Build Me a World.”

Contact

The Movie

DREW BELZ, PRODUCER – 828 242 1480 – drew@fancyrhino.com
ISAIAH SMALLMAN, PRODUCER – 443 845 7191 – isaiah@fancyrhino.com
BETHANY MOLLENKOF, DIRECTOR – 423 785 6856 – bethany@fancyrhino.com

The Movement

Chris Woodhull – 865 661 4131 – chriswoodhull@gmail.com

The Movement

Nov
16
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  • BMW DVDs are here!

     

    Finally! And they look gorgeous.

     

    Check out the SWAG tab at the top of this page to order your Build Me A World DVD(s?) today!

     

    If you’ve already ordered, have no fear: a DVD should be speeding its way to your mailbox.

     

    If not, order up!

     

     

     

Sep
05

  • D’Angelo

    D’Angelo Foster, as seen in the film, was ready with his first batch of chocolate for the premiere of “Build Me a World.” The 11th-grade chocolatier won seed money to start his business at the first Howard School Entrepreneurship Competition last spring. After working all summer to get his business off the ground, he and his business partner Derelle Rochelle served their gourmet treats to an excited crowd.

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Aug
28
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  • Pancake Breakfast

    The Howard Summit followed the premiere of “Build Me a World” and gathered local leaders to discuss the future of The Howard School. Over pancakes, community members and leaders envisioned transforming The Howard School into a focal point of downtown that would better prepare students for college, but also for vocational and technical careers.

Aug
26
Aug
22

  • Premiere

    “Build Me a World: The Story of The Howard School,” was screened for a packed Tivoli Theatre on Thursday the 16th of August. Alongside the filmmakers, many of the kids featured in the film were able to discuss their role in the film in a question-and-answer session held after the movie. Fancy Rhino is very thankful and excited about how the film was received and the potential it holds. More screenings will be held in Chattanooga.

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Aug
22
Jul
01
Jun
26
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  • Join The Challenge

     

    Freshmen enter Howard at a 3rd grade reading level. Help create a K-12 community at Howard to bridge the widening gap between elementary schools and high schools in our community.

     

    Email buildmeaworld@fancyrhino.com to start the conversation. Shoot us your contacts, advice, and ideas. Or, just give us your email so we can keep you in the loop.

Jun
25
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  • speak with your own voice:

    I started recording myself walking by accident and for about a year I continued. The footage built up until I looked through it and realized how much of my life was found in these seemingly insignificant clips. I cherish this quirky record of my being and am thankful to be reminded why I love documenting life. I used this sketch to teach my kids at Howard that there are many ways to capture their stories. Hopefully they will one day appreciate these records of their existence they’re creating.

Jun
20

  • Howard School Spirit

    Sports are a staple at The Howard School, with lots of student and community involvement.  With the help of students we covered  Friday night games, pep rallies and marching band performances.

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Jun
15
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  • Join The Challenge

    Great teachers are the magic ingredient at any school. Help create incentives for the best teachers to come to and stay at Howard and other schools like it.

     

    Email buildmeaworld@fancyrhino.com to start the conversation. Shoot us your contacts, advice, and ideas. Or, just give us your email so we can keep you in the loop.

Jun
12
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  • Documentary film club

    We are teaching students to tell their stories with photographs, audio recorders and video cameras. It is our hope that each student involved will end this project knowing that when they speak, someone will listen. We are working hard to plant seeds that will, through painstaking care, blossom into a more dynamic relationship between the students of Howard and the larger community.

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Jun
10
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  • Join The Challenge

    Tech programs have been largely abandoned in the last 15 years at Howard, and yet big tech employers are moving into the city.

     

    Help restore a historic strength to the school and create post-graduate opportunities in the process. Email buildmeaworld@fancyrhino.com to start the conversation. Shoot us your contacts, advice, and ideas. Or, just give us your email so we can keep you in the loop.

Jun
07