‘Legacy of Charity’s Children’ series wins podcasting competition

Short story series about early pioneer Charity Davis Ceasar Broady wins Best Narrative Nonfiction.
Charity Broady, a 2023 Dayton Region Walk of Fame inductee.

Credit: Lynch, Gregory

Credit: Lynch, Gregory

Charity Broady, a 2023 Dayton Region Walk of Fame inductee.

“The Legacy of Charity’s Children,” a podcast series dedicated to chronicling the life of early Ohio settler, abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor Charity Davis Ceasar Broady and her descendants, received top honors in the Best Narrative Nonfiction Audio Category of Roadmap Writers 2023 Podcasting Competition.

“The Legacy of Charity’s Children” explores the generational journey of the Davis/Broady family through family archives, oral history and historical records. The series, created and narrated by broadcaster, historian, genealogist, and motivational speaker Patricia Smith Griffin, sheds light on the inspiring heritage of early Ohio settlers, including John Isaac Davis and his daughter Charity Davis Caesar Broady, who was of African and Ani’-Yun’wiya (Cherokee) descent.

“As the descendant of Charity Davis Ceasar Broady, I’m honored to share my family’s story through ‘The Legacy of Charity’s Children’ podcast,” said Patricia Smith Griffin, the fourth great-granddaughter of Broady and the executive producer and writer of the series, in a news release. “This award from Roadmap Writers is a validation of the importance of preserving our heritage and the power of storytelling to inspire and educate future generations.”

The series draws from a generational archive collection, oral and written histories spanning 221 years. Selected for the 2023 Urban Mediamakers Film Festival, Season One of the podcast is accessible on various podcast platforms. Season 2 is set to premiere in July.

Patricia Smith Griffin, fourth great-granddaughter of Charity Davis Broady, speaks at the Dayton Region Walk of Fame induction ceremony at Sinclair Community College on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Dayton. David Jablonski/Staff

Credit: David Jablonski

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Credit: David Jablonski

Spanning 12 generations (and counting) in Dayton, the descendants of Broady have contributed to the region since its inception in 1803/1804. In recognition of her community activism, Broady was posthumously inducted into the Dayton Region Walk of Fame in October 2023.

“Her legacy is becoming legendary,” Griffin said at the Walk of Fame ceremony. “The telling and sharing of our family’s story has become our family obligation and privilege. On behalf of Mother Charity and her children, we, the descendants of Charity Davis Caesar Broady, want you to know we are grateful for this recognition. It’s a recognition and acknowledgement of a history that has been a part of the fabric of the Miami Valley for 220 years, and a recognition and acknowledgement of a history that ensures that a history ignored does not become a history denied.”

Roadmap Writers, founded in 2016 by Joey Tuccio and Dorian Connelley, is a screenwriting education and training platform that provides a path to professional success in writing for film and TV.

For more information about “The Legacy of Charity’s Children,” visit www.charityschildren.org.

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