Houston Arts and Media, a local creative conduit for historical histories, has received accolades in the 2012 Daughters of the American Revolution Historical Preservation Contest.

With Respect: Preserving Historic Cemeteries won first place in the national contest, and is "meant to encourage new volunteerism and involvement in the cause of saving the 50,000 Texas cemeteries deemed to be historic."

HAM conceived, developed and produced the 20-minute video, which was completed in partnership with the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

It tells the story of cemetery preservation through anecdotes from volunteers and advocates at local historic cemeteries — Founder's Memorial Park, Olivewood and College Memorial Park — with testimony from City of Houston officials, including Parks and Recreation Department director Joe Turner.

But the documentary also brings attention to all historic cemeteries across the Lone Star State and the importance of preserving each, for reasons of posterity and genealogical research, and out of respect for the people of the past who contributed to our current communities.

"We are standing on their shoulders, and it is up to us to remember their legacy by maintaining these cemeteries," Debra Blacklock Sloan, a member of the Descendants of Olivewood advisory board says, in the video.

Watch the rest above.