MILT THOMAS

If you live in Vero Beach or anywhere on the Treasure Coast, you have no doubt heard about The Highwaymen, the collective name for a group of loosely-aligned African-American artists known for their vivid and pristine Florida landscapes. But few people know their true origins —  common laborers struggling to survive in the Jim Crow south until a well-known Fort Pierce artist, A.E. “Bean” (or “Beanie”) Backus (1906-1990) discovered their innate talent.

That is about to change.

A feature film about The Highwayman with an “A- List” cast and crew is already in the pre-production stage and will be filmed entirely in Fort Pierce, where it all started. The film is titled The Unknowns and subtitled Talent is Color Blind.

Hollywood producer, Walter T. Shaw, Jr., explains the title. “According to Al Black, one of the surviving original artists I met, they only became known as The Highwaymen in the mid-1990s, a name they did not care for because it made them sound like street criminals or a country western band. In the beginning they preferred to be called ‘The Anonymous Unknowns.’

It is here that the real story begins to reveal itself. Shaw was recently interviewed by Ralph Oko on his radio show, Treasure Finders Road Show. “When they started out, they sold their paintings for $25-$40 each. They didn’t even sign their works, which were painted on basically pieces of drywall and sold to passersby on the U.S. 1 roadside because, being black, they were not allowed access to galleries.”

Shaw tells how this talented group became artists. “There never would have been Highwaymen if not for Beanie Backus. African-American students were not allowed to attend all-white schools in the 1950s south, but Backus nurtured talent in kids regardless of their color and he worked with them out of his home, which must have been frowned upon at the time. When a black art teacher named Zanobia Jefferson approached him about some talented kids in her class, he offered to work with them.”

One student in particular, a personable, outgoing boy named Alfred Hair, demonstrated extraordinary talent. According to Shaw, “There are several names given credit for starting the Highwaymen art movement, but only real leader was Alfred Hair. It is his story that this film will focus on and it will touch everyone’s heart as it did mine.”

Alfred Hair was a humble man who possessed the people skills to inspire his fellow artists, all of whom adopted the technique he learned from Backus. Tragically, he was shot to death in 1970, cut down at the age of 29. “He saw only the best in people,” says Shaw. “His story is a great love story for humanity.”

Hair’s death stunned his fellow Anonymous Unknowns and they were close to disbanding without their leader. But they persevered in spite of the odds against them. Shaw plans to give them the recognition they deserve and supporting him in this effort is Alfred Hair’s widow.

Doretha Hair Truesdell was also interviewed on the show and knows Shaw and Ralph Oko very well. When asked how her husband and the other Unknowns could put aside poverty and prejudice-driven obstacles to create such inspirational artwork, she said, “If you have faith and keep moving forward in spite of those obstacles, you will be glorious.”

Shaw also visited all the existing Fort Pierce locations featured in his film and has received a great deal of support from Fort Pierce city officials.  He has interviewed six of the Highwaymen as well as the retired art teacher who first contacted Bean Backus about her talented students, Zanobia Jefferson. “I asked her why the artists I interviewed showed no bitterness or resentment about the fact that in spite of their fame they never really benefited financially from their work. She said, ‘We look to God to see us through.’”

The actor portraying Jefferson in The Unknowns will be Whoopie Goldberg. Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Matchstick Men, Frost/Nixon, The Green Mile) will play the part of Bean Backus. Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, The Cemetery Club) will direct the film.

Shaw visited Doretha Hair Truesdell at her home one day and as they sat on the patio, he says, “It had rained and we saw a bright rainbow. Doretha smiled and said, ‘Alfred is still painting.’

The Unknowns is scheduled for fall 2016 release.