NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The lives and contributions of longtime Nashville community leaders Joyce and Walter Searcy are being preserved through a new documentary created with the help of Belmont University students.
“Steadfast & True,” a 48-minute documentary developed in partnership with the Fisk-Belmont Social Justice Collaboration, chronicles the Searcys’ more than five decades of service, advocacy and community involvement in Nashville.
Students in Belmont’s Global Honors program spent the past academic year researching the couple’s history, conducting interviews, reviewing archival materials and participating in the production of the film.
The project grew out of conversations during Belmont’s 2025 Peace Summit, where participants recognized that the Searcys’ extensive contributions to Nashville represented a story that had not been fully documented.
For decades, Joyce and Walter Searcy have been active in Nashville civic, educational and social justice efforts.
Joyce Searcy serves as Belmont’s director of Community Relations, helping develop partnerships between the university and the neighboring historic Edgehill community. She has also served on numerous local and national boards and has been involved in civic and community organizations throughout Nashville.
Walter Searcy is a civil rights veteran, founding member of Nashville Organized for Action and Hope, known as NOAH, and a longtime advocate for transportation equity and racial justice. His activism began while he was a student at Fisk University during the Civil Rights Movement and continued through decades of involvement in issues including public transportation, criminal justice reform and community empowerment.
Students from several academic disciplines contributed to the documentary.
Music composition students worked on the film’s score, while audio engineering students handled sound production. Journalism students explored documentary storytelling, legal studies students conducted research and archival work, and video production students participated in filming and editing.
Students also examined historical documents and created timelines while digitizing decades of photographs, newspaper articles and personal materials provided by the Searcys.
Global Honors student Chris Smith, who participated in filming and editing, said the experience demonstrated the importance of preserving local history.
“I care deeply about film and the power it holds,” Smith said. “It deepened my understanding of the importance of local history and the people who work to shape the world we live in.”
The documentary combines the Searcys’ personal recollections with Nashville and Tennessee history. Interviews include former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, state Sen. Charlane Oliver, Bishop Joseph W. Walker III of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Dr. Leothra Williams Jr., journalist Dwight Lewis and writer Betsy Phillips.
For some students, researching the Searcys also provided a closer look at Nashville’s civil rights history and the role individuals can play in shaping their communities.
“This experience made me realize just how transformational storytelling can be,” said public policy student Sheeva Chourazghi-Azad. “Having the privilege to hear about Walter and Joyce’s life left me with something even greater than skills or learning. It showed me a moral code to live by: you should fight for your community and do the right thing even when no one is watching.”
One of the project’s most memorable experiences came during a visit to Promise Land, a historic Black community in Tennessee established by formerly enslaved people following emancipation. Transportation problems left the group stranded for several hours, creating an unexpected opportunity for students to spend additional time talking with the Searcys about their experiences.
Project organizers said those personal conversations helped students better understand the couple beyond their public accomplishments.
The documentary was produced under the supervision of Global Honors faculty and staff members Leigh Hitchcock, Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel and course advisor Carolyn Spellings, along with filmmaker Barbara J. Hall.
Organizers plan to submit “Steadfast & True” to film festivals in the coming months, extending the students’ work beyond the classroom and helping preserve the Searcys’ story for future generations.
“A project like this changes how students see themselves,” Spellings said. “When they realize that they have the opportunity and responsibility to help tell important stories, they begin to see themselves as contributors and community members.”
