For Immediate Release: February 15, 2007
Contact: R. Mangaliso Davis, Camden City African American Commission (856-365-9038)

Film Premiere:
Petty's Island: The Untold History

"Petty's Island: The Untold History" was produced by the Camden City African American Commission and SJEJA in collaboration with Scribe Video Center in Philadelphia. Narrated by renown actor and social activist, Danny Glover, the video reveals a forgotten chapter in this little island's history. Petty’s Island, according to the film makers, had been an early settlement of Native Americans, was later owned by William Penn and sold to Thomas Fairman in 1701. In 1721, the little island was sold to a fur trader and Native American interpreter, John Petty, hence "Petty's Island."

But the most important discovery was that the Petty's Island was used as depot for enslaved Africans. Although slavery was less prominent in the North, the documentary shows convincingly that slavery existed in Pennsylvania during that period, but also that the slavery connections with Petty's Island was due to economic reasons. The traders avoided paying taxes by selling their slaves at Petty's Island instead of in Philadelphia.

		The documentary, Petty's Island: The Untold History, is a collaboration between the South Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and the Camden City African American Commission and the Scribe Video Center. The film is narrated by the award-winning actor, Danny Glover, best known for his roles in The Color Purple and The Lethal Weapon series.
Danny Glover recording the sound track

In addition to the release of the documentary, Petty's Island: The Untold History, R. Mangaliso Davis, chair of the Camden City African American Commission, is launching a Petition drive to designate Petty's Island as a National Historic Site and a wildlife and nature preserve. The vision to preserve open space is shared by environmentalists, is popular with citizens, and is in line with the State's Open Space preservation goals. Gov. Corzine, in his State of the State address in January, reiterated his commitment to protect open space and to create more urban parks. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/19/07) Thus, Citgo's offer to clean up the island and to give it to the State of New Jersey free of charge is a win-win situation for the New Jersey citizens and tax payers. At a time when the Garden State Preservation Trust is running out of money and New Jersey is losing nearly 50 acres per day to development, making Petty's Island a recreational park and wildlife preserve is a no brainer.

Mr. Davis argues that Petty's Island should be preserved to protect its natural resources and serve NJ citizens growing recreational needs. Furthermore, a viable nature preserve and National Historic site could also become a source of revenue for the State as a tourist destination for eco and heritage tourists.

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February 15, 2007 at 7pm. International House (Philadelphia, PA)
The film premiered with others in conjunction the Scribe Video Center's Precious Places Community Project.

February 20, 2007 at 7pm Walt Whitman Center, Cooper and 2nd Streets, Camden, NJ |
The Camden debut of the film took place at the beautiful Walt Whitman Center at Johnson Park. The house was filled to capacity.

>>> read the Courier Post's report