Fordham Stories Productions takes its name from the street of Fordham that runs through the Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff. The street was where the founder and film director Elroy “EJ” Johnson IV’s maternal grandmother Orea Hill-Tillman, “MawMaw” lived in a small white frame two-bedroom house, after moving to Texas from rural Louisiana. The house is where EJ was exposed to his love of stories and storytelling.
EJ’s work looks to document stories that often go untold, especially stories centering on marginalized communities and Black communities, especially in the south. EJ’s films include the award-winning documentary film, Building the Bridge, A Food Justice Story, and the I’ve Been Waiting series. He is currently working on a series of vertical short narratives to bring Black stories and narratives to life. Outside of filmmaking, EJ tells regular stories of Black history to his more than 150,000 followers across different social platforms, known as “Director EJ”.
Orea Hill-Tillman
“Maw Maw” Orea Hill Tillman:
Born in Mooringsport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana. She spent her early adult years in Caddo Parish and Shreveport, where she worked with the family farming and picking cotton. She and her husband, Melvin Tillman Sr., eventually moved their family to Dallas, Texas, to the neighborhood of Oak Cliff. The couple raised four children in a two bedroom house on the street of Fordham , over the years other family members would join them in Oak Cliff, from Louisiana.
Founder, Elroy “EJ” Johnson