Education doesn't end when the bell rings.

It continues through the stories we tell and the history we choose to share.

As we close out tonight during Black History Month, we're highlighting a neighbor who's using storytelling to shed light on little known facts about Black History, both here in our region and across the country.

"Carolina Impact's" Dara Khaalid and Videographer Russ Hunsinger introduce us to Frederick Murphy, who uses a camera and a deep love of history to educate and inform.

(air whooshes) (mellow music) - [Dara] Bundled up in his orange beanie and cozy tan-and-white jacket, He grabs his tripod from the trunk (trunk clatters) and his camera from the front seat.

It's a cold Carolina winter morning, (zipper zipping) but film director Frederick Murphy doesn't pay any mind to the temperature as he sets up his gear because he knows the story he's here to capture will warm him up.

- So can you tell me the significance of the school to your own family history?

- Frederick is filming in front of the former Rosenwald School, the little school located in Pottstown, the historically Black community in Huntersville that was founded in 1909 by former slaves.

According to historians, the school was built in 1925, and from 1937 to 1958, children were taught first through fourth grades here.

One of those children was Stephenie Brown's mother, Mildred.

- So the significance of this school to me is this was my mother's first school, and again, she grew up right here where we're standing.

- Thank you, ma'am.

- [Dara] For almost four years, Frederick has been making connections with residents in the Potstown Heritage Group like Stephenie to uncover history that many in the Charlotte region may not know about.

- Hey, what's up folks?

Welcome back to another episode of "History Before Us."

- [Dara] Much of what Frederick discovers, he shares through his storytelling platform, "History Before Us," a project he launched in 2015 to bring forgotten and overlooked stories into the light.

His work focuses on the history, culture, and lived experiences of marginalized communities both here in our region and across the country.

At first, Frederick relied on long-form films to tell those stories, but when he shifted to shorter vlog style YouTube videos, everything changed.

The format made history feel immediate and personal, and allowed his message to reach more people, more often.

For Frederick, it turns storytelling into a daily act of education and connection.

- I wanted to churn out more stories faster.

And when you're doing a documentary-documentary, it could be years.

So many people reach out to me on social media and are like, "Hey, I have this community here.

Can you come down?"

And a lot of times, I just was like, I can't cover that story because I don't have the budget and you don't have the budget.

- [Dara] With each person Frederick interviews, it reminds him of his days as a curious young boy in Clarksville, Tennessee surrounded by his elders.

- I always had this inquisitive mind to just wander about, what were these people's journey to get to where they were old and gray?

But I just saw so much wisdom, even in their hands, like the wrinkles that were on their faces.

(mellow music) - [Dara] While history at home sparked his curiosity, Frederick didn't feel that same connection in the classroom.

- It was one of those things that when you kind of look back in hindsight, you realize how much of your cup was left unfilled.

If we're only talking about a certain number of folks during Black History Month, how do you keep the attention of a young mind that's developing?

- Frederick recalls learning about notable figures like Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

and Rosa Parks.

But that was about it, which left him yearning for more.

- If you're not talking about the Underground Railroad, if you're not talking about free communities of color and the only narrative that you have is one of (mellow upbeat music) pain and sorrow and non-equitable measures, then what does that do for a kid from K to 12?

- [Dara] Frederick knows he can't go back and change what he wasn't taught, but he can do something about what comes next.

Through his company, he's trying to ensure future generations learn the stories of Black History that too often go untold.

He's doing that through a growing body of work, including recent films like "The Indelible Appalachians," "Duality," a collection of Afro-Indigenous perspectives and "Echoes of the Forks of Cypress."

Frederick is taking them to audiences across the country.

- It's been such an underrepresented history, and that's something to be said when you are living in a country that is considered a salad bowl of different cultures.

And so we know the contributions that Black folks, Black Indigenous folks, et cetera, have lent to this country.

And so for me, this is an opportunity for me to highlight those efforts.

Man, it's great out here.

Great day for a hike, brother.

- [Dara] As much as Frederick enjoys the work he does, there is a heaviness that comes with covering historical topics that aren't always pleasant.

(mellow upbeat music continues) So getting outdoors is a way for him to decompress.

- Coming out here just allows me the liberation that I need to kind of think about a world with no walls.

- [Dara] For his creative director, Andrew Smith, being out in nature sparks ideas for the company.

- A project that me and Fred are actually working on right now, a lot of inspiration for the trailer came from just being outside and just chilling.

(mellow upbeat music continues) - [Dara] Like the trees that stand around him firmly rooted and reaching upward, Frederick continues to draw strength from history and love sharing it with others.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Dara Khaalid.