The Black G.I. (Black Journal segment)

Directed by

Garrett, Kent, American, born 1941

Produced by

Greaves, William, American, 1926 - 2014

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Subject of

Bennett, L. Howard, American, 1913 - 1993

Bracey, Sylvester Sr., American, ca. 1949 - 2019

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1971

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 50 Minutes

Length (Film): 1,800 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of The Black G.I. (Black Journal segment)

Caption

The Black G.I. is a two-part documentary episode of the television series Black Journal. It focuses on the experiences of African-American soldiers in the Vietnam War. This film features frank and open discussions from soldiers, ranked officers, and politicians about the racism that defined the different experiences black soldiers had in this war.

Description

This 16mm color film is an hour-long documentary segment of Episode No. 22 of the NET (National Educational Television) television program, Black Journal; a weekly public television newsmagazine in the late 1960s/early 1970s that examined the many issues pertinent to the black American experience at the time. It was originally broadcast on March 30, 1970, and is believed to have been filmed over the course of 1969. Episode No. 22 of Black Journal was directed by Stan Lathan, while the "Black G.I." segment was directed by Kent Garrett. Executive Produced by William Greaves.

This film opens with a narration over images of African American men in the history of the US military. The first moving image section shows African American men fighting during World War II. The narrator discusses the irony of African American men fighting for freedom in Europe while not enjoying the same freedoms in the US. There are multiple shots of the Tuskegee Airmen. Eleanor Roosevelt pins (unknown) medal on African American soldier. Next, newsreel footage of Joe Louis arriving at an airbase and greeting black troops. The narrator then talks about the desegregation of the US military during the Korean War and points out the lack of black soldiers in leadership positions. Color footage marks the transition of the narration to coverage of the Vietnam War. Two African American soldiers in civilian clothing with soul power patches can be seen dapping. Series of brief excerpts from interviews of black soldiers play, each stating their position on being black and in the military during the Vietnam War. The narrator reveals the disproportionate percentage of black men who are killed in action versus their white counterparts. There are multiple shots of combat and post-combat footage in Vietnamese rice fields and footage of riverside villages. Two sailors patrol a river and discuss their experience in Vietnam thus far and what they'll do when they get home. They discuss their mission and how to be black while being in the military. A girl group performs at the USO in Saigon. Tanks and amored personnel carriers patrol suspected enemy locations along border with North Vietnam. Sailors on a patrol boat open fire at the river bank and a confederate flag can be seen flying from a flag pole on board. Black sailors discuss cultural challenges of being in the Navy and the lack entertainment geared towards black musical tastes of the time. One sailor talks about being disciplined for getting into an altercation after a white sailor ripped his tape player from the wall for playing soul music. The narrator reveals that an all white court martial found the sailor, Bobby Jenkins, guilty of assault, demoted him and docked his pay. A sailor relays that he and other African Americans met with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for civil rights to discuss their poor treatment and were promised changes by the Assistant Secretary. The sailors talk about how some local Vietnamese have adopted some of the negative perceptions of African Americans, which some black sailors believe they learned from some white members of the military. The sailors discuss how their hands are tied when it comes to standing up for their rights as sailors on a patrol boat dap and salute the camera with black/soul power fists. Air Force fighter pilot, John Bordeaux, discusses his personal experience of not facing the same discrimination expressed by other African American military personnel. Two black career Army officers, Davis and Rogers, discuss the systematic discrimination they've faced; in particular, they recall incidents of being passed over for promotions despite strong credentials. Brigadier General Frederick E. Davison, the first African American combat general, rejects the assertion that an African American who succeeds in the military is an Uncle Tom and discusses the many actions that the Army has taken to ensure equal treatment and opportunities. A cover of "Sittin' on a Dock in the Bay" plays over a montage of black soldiers in the field. A group of black Marines in a mess hall at Camp Hansen, Okinawa discuss the unfair treatment they've experienced, such as being forced to wear a collared shirt with their dashikis and not being allowed to wear their hair in an afro. One marine relates an incident in which they were violently confronted after returning from a USO show that primarily featured soul music. There is a series of shots of shops in Koza "Four Corners", Okinawa geared towards African American soldiers. Another group of soldiers discuss their dissatisfaction with being drafted to fight in Vietnam despite social and economic discrimination at home, and being harassed and targeted as being "troublesome" if they decide to attend country music night at local clubs. L. Howard Bennett, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, discusses how black soldiers complaining about the lack of soul music are expressing grievances beyond simply entertainment selection and dissatisfaction with communcation in the chain of command. He also states his opinion that black soldiers fighting for the US puts them in a better position to demand equal rights at home.

Place filmed

H? Chí Minh, Viet Nam, Asia

Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Asia

Arlington County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Portfolio/Series

Black Journal segment

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Film

Gesture

Mass media

Military

Race discrimination

Race relations

Television

Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.51.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd52bd1f8e2-5401-4dc0-9984-bb011645927b

NAACP Protest Rally

Created by

Unidentified

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Subject of

Malachy, Norman, American

Brown, R. Jess, American, 1913 - 1990

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909

Garrett, Al, American, died 1959

Parker, Mack Charles, American, 1936 - 1959

Date

May 26, 1959

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 11 Minutes

Length (Film): 400 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of NAACP Protest Rally

Caption

This 16mm silent, black and white film features footage from a NAACP protest rally at the Siloam Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn. The main speaker is Norman Malachy, and he recalls the events surrounding the Mack Charles Parker lynching that happened on April 25, 1959, near Poplarville, Mississippi. Mack Charles Parker was kidnapped while he was in jail on charges that he raped a white woman on February 24, 1959.

Description

This 16mm black and white film (a) was shot at a NAACP protest rally at the Siloam Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn. The main speaker is Norman Malachy, and he recalls the events surrounding the Mack Charles Parker lynching that happened on April 25, 1959, near Poplarville, Mississippi. Mack Charles Parker was kidnapped while he was in jail on charges that he raped a white woman on February 24, 1959. When Malachy finishes speaking, R. Jess Brown asks him follow up questions at the podium. Brown appears later in the film and speaks about the murder of Al Garrett by a police officer in the Gates Ave. Police Station in Brooklyn on April 17, 1959. An unidentified minister also briefly speaks at the podium.

The film begins with Malachy recounting the police questioning him about the events on the night of February 24, 1959, when he was riding in the same car as Parker. He recalls this story for over six minutes, and then Brown approaches the podium and asks Malachy some direct questions about how long Malachy knew Parker, as well as some follow up questions about answers he provided to the police. This exchange goes on for about 2 minutes. For most of the final minute, Brown talks about the murder of Al Garrett. While there is sound for much of the film, there are some moments when there is no sound, and other moments when the film cuts in and out abruptly. A minister begins to introduce a speaker following the exchange between Malachy and Brown. The film jumps ahead to Brown approaching the podium to speak about Al Garrett. The film cuts out while Brown is speaking.

Place filmed

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

black-and-white films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Civil rights

Justice

Lynching

U.S. History, 1953-1961

Violence

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.103.1a

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5fda50c16-fb19-4a21-86fe-a057d76956fe

Drug Employees Union Local 1199 Documentary

Created by

Retail Drug Employees Union Local 1199, founded 1932

Subject of

Retail Drug Employees Union Local 1199, founded 1932

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

ca. 1953

Medium

acetate film , metal and transfer paper

Dimensions

Duration: 11 Minutes

Length (Film): 450 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Drug Employees Union Local 1199 Documentary

Caption

A 16mm silent, black and white film that shows members of the Drug Employees Union Local 1199 engaged in various activities. Footage includes members attending meetings, working, walking a picket line, signing a petition, attending an art gallery exhibition, and hosting a Christmas party for children.

Description

A 16mm silent, black and white film that shows members of the Drug Employees Union Local 1199 engaged in various activities. Members are shown attending meetings, working, walking a picket line, signing a petition, attending an art gallery exhibition, and hosting a Christmas party for children.

16mm film. Film begins with the 1199 logo that reads "We the Members of Local 1199", and shows drug store workers engaged in a variety of work-related activities. The first scene shows pharmacists at work mixing drugs and assisting customers. The next two scenes show members lining up at a meeting to pay dues at a window. The members shown are both black and white men and women. The next scene shows what appears to be a different meeting with a greater number of people in attendance. The meeting ends, and the members get up to leave. The next scene shows a group of around a dozen people, mostly men, seated around a table. The next scene shows a different meeting. There is a large banner above the stage that has a circle, half of it black, and the numbers 40 and 5 are on either side of the line. There is a table on the stage, where people are seated. They appear to be voting on something because many of those in the crowd raise their hand. The footage shows a second banner that reads Defend & Protect Our Gains...Organize the Unorganized Stores. The next scene shows people exiting, perhaps after the meeting is over. A picket line is seen in the next footage and the striking workers wear signs that read This Drug Store is on Strike Please Do Not Patronize. The 1199 union name is listed below. There is also footage of the picket line that shows the front of the drug store, Freistadt's. The next scene shows men looking at a jobs board and then men lining up at a window to talk to a man behind the counter. The next scene shows an office with mostly women seated at desks using typewriters. In a different office, a man talks to one man, while another man is examined by a doctor with a stethoscope. There is some footage of what appears to be the Local 1199 newsletter Drug News. The next scene shows a room with a lot of beds and men lying on them probably for a blood drive. Nurses attend to the men on the beds, while some of the men drink out of cups (they appear to have donated blood). The next scene shows men with thermometers in their mouths. Following that scene, there is footage of people dancing at a square dance. The footage also shows the band providing the music for the dancers. The next scene appears to show two black women and one white woman acting on stage during a play. The next scene shows a man speaking to a large group of people in a room. A different meeting is shown after that, and a man is handed a trophy. The next scene shows the entrance to a Wolf Ubogy art exhibit, and there is footage of the art on the walls and people talking. The next scene shows a large group of children, and many of them are eating ice cream. Some of them are performing on stage. A clown is also shown performing for the children. He balances a small dog in his hand, and there are other dogs on stage. Another clown performs juggling. A man dressed as Santa Claus appears and waves to the children. The scene ends with two children, one black and one white, sitting on the lap of Santa Claus and waving to the camera. The next scene shows a group of men and women signing an oversize telegram to Governor Dewey in Albany, New York. The telegram subject reads Local 1199 demands No Fare or Rent Increase. The footage also shows a close-up of people signing the telegram. The next scene appears to be a montage of the entire film with brief clips from many of the different scenes. There is footage of a banner that reads 21 Years of Local 1199 in the middle of the banner. On the left hand side is 1932 next to a circle with 66 and 6 inside of the circle. On the right hand side is the same design, except the date is 1953 and inside of the circle is 40 and 5. The next scene is another montage, this time with footage of various meetings and people speaking at microphones. A small banner reads Ligget Division Retail Drug Employees Union Local 1199 - DPOWA. The final scene shows a seated audience clapping and the camera pans the crowd. The same logo from the beginning of the film appears again.

Place filmed

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

black-and-white films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Art

Business

Children

Dance

Labor

Medicine

Politics (Practical)

Professional organizations

U.S. History, 1953-1961

Urban life

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.14.1a

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5c6080dac-480e-40ed-8079-7b7776aaa224

Tribute to Malcolm X (Black Journal segment)

Produced by

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Edited by

Anderson, Madeline, American

Subject of

X, Malcolm, American, 1925 - 1965

Dr. Shabazz, Betty, American, 1934 - 1997

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1969

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 14 Minutes

Length (Film): 500 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Tribute to Malcolm X (Black Journal segment)

Caption

This 16mm film is a short documentary made by Madeline Anderson for National Education Television's Black Journal television program to commemorate the four year anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X.

Description

This 16mm black and white film print is a short documentary made for the National Education Television's Black Journal television program. Editor Madeline Anderson compiled footage of Malcolm X to commemorate the four year anniversary of his assassination.

This film opens with footage of the public attending the funeral/wake of Malcolm X, and a voice-over of a male narrator recounts the sentiments of some individuals describing what Malcolm X meant to the African American community during his life and after his assassination. Malcolm X's wife, Betty Shabazz, discusses Malcolm's early childhood roots, family, stints in foster care and boys' homes, and his struggle to stay on the straight and narrow in Boston, MA. The narrator then picks back up describing Malcolm X's biography and attitude towards race relations and integration in America. Excerpts from various television interviews with Malcolm X play. During the first interview clip, Malcolm explains why he believes integration has not been successful and cannot be successful (during that particular point in time) unless certain issues are addressed. In the second interview clip, Malcolm discusses why he was silenced by the Nation of Islam for a comment he made shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He elaborates on what he actually meant by saying that "chickens are coming home to roost" amid an unaddressed climate of hate in the United States. The third interview is with Malcolm after he returned from his pilgrimage to Mecca. American reporters ask him about his feelings on integration in America, now that he has returned from Mecca, where Muslims from all over were participating in the pilgrimage to Mecca together. Malcolm states that his feelings on integration have not changed as a result of the brotherhood he experienced during his trip Mecca. An interview with Betty Shabazz picks up again, and she further explains her late husband's beliefs concerning integration and his wish to redirect the goal of the black struggle from civil rights to human rights by internationalizing the struggle and aligning African Americans with other marginalized groups around the world. Another interview with Malcolm X plays, and he explains, in his own words, how human rights is an international issue that should be addressed by the United Nations. Footage of a civil rights demonstration plays. Malcolm X addresses students in Selma, Alabama and talks about charging the United States with human rights violations. Further, he tells a story in which he defines what he believes to be the difference in mentality between what he calls a "field negro" and a "house negro". He states that he is a "field negro" ready to fight for his freedom.

Place filmed

Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Movement

Civil Rights Movement

Black Nationalism

Type

sound films

black-and-white films (visual works)

short subjects

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Black power

Civil rights

Film

Funeral customs and rites

Mass media

Resistance

Social reform

Television

U.S. History, 1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.37.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd57efc83f7-85eb-4584-b0b4-fc285ae6a92d

Count Us In

Produced by

Marzani, Carl, 1912 - 1994

Union Films, 1946 - 1953

Subject of

Henry Wallace, American, 1888 - 1965

Seeger, Pete, American, 1919 - 2014

Robeson, Paul, American, 1898 - 1976

Composed by

Claiborne, Bob, American, 1919 - 1990

Subject of

Progressive Party, American, 1948 - 1955

Claiborne, Bob, American, 1919 - 1990

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Beveridge, Tee, American, 1923 - 1993

Subject of

Dr. Jackson, George, American, 1929 - 1995

Date

July 1948

Medium

acetate film and metal

Dimensions

Duration: 9 Minutes

Length (Film): 350 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Count Us In

Caption

Presidential campaign film for 1948 Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace featuring Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger. The soundtrack is by Bob Claiborne (a Seeger-associated folk musician), who narrates, plays guitar, and sings over footage. The footage includes both outdoor and indoor activities during the July 1948 Progressive Party convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and many scenes of young people speaking, playing music, singing, and dancing. Henry Wallace appears onstage at the convention towards the end of the film. Other delegates and party officals identified in the film are George Jackson from Seton Hall, Alvin Jones from Louisiana, Seymour Linfield, Louis Burnham from Alabama, and Walter Wallace.

Description

Youth-oriented documentary short film about the 1948 Progressive Party convention in Philadelphia. Produced by Union Films. This 16mm black and white presidential campaign film (a) with original film reel (b), and original film can (c) for 1948 Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace features Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger. The soundtrack is by Bob Claiborne (a Seeger-associated folk musician), who narrates, plays guitar, and sings over footage. The footage includes both outdoor and indoor activities during the July 1948 Progressive Party convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and many scenes of young people speaking, playing music, singing, and dancing. Henry Wallace appears onstage at the convention towards the end of the film. Other delegates and party officals identified in the film are George Jackson from Seton Hall, Alvin Jones from Louisiana, Seymour Linfield, Louis Burnham from Alabama, and Walter Wallace.

2012.79.1.7.1a: Original 16mm acetate film.

2012.79.1.7.1b: Original 400 foot metal reel.

2012.79.1.7.1c: Original 400 foot metal can.

Place depicted

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

sound films

black-and-white films (visual works)

short subjects

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Documentary films

Folk (Music)

Mass media

Political organizations

Politics (Practical)

U.S. History, 1945-1953

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.7.1abc

Restrictions & Rights

No known copyright restrictions

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd59ee4a272-63b7-4f54-afe9-ed9d6a2bb40a

New-Ark (Black Journal segment)

Directed by

Bourne, St. Clair, American, 1943 - 2007

Produced by

Greaves, William, American, 1926 - 2014

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Subject of

Kenneth A. Gibson, American, born 1932

Wonder, Stevie, American, born 1950

Baraka, Amiri, American, 1934 - 2014

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1970

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 9 Minutes

Length (Film): 330 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of New-Ark (Black Journal segment)

Caption

A short documentary subject made for National Educational Television's Black Journal television program documenting a political rally in Newark, the 1970 mayoral campaign of Ken Gibson, and an African American voter registration drive with special musical performance by Stevie Wonder.

Description

A short documentary subject made for National Educational Television's Black Journal television program documenting a political rally in Newark, the 1970 mayoral campaign of Ken Gibson, and an African American voter registration drive with special musical performance by Stevie Wonder. It consists of a single reel of 16mm color film.

The film opens with close ups of audience members listening to Amiri Baraka giving a speech about black mobilization in local elections. Multiple shots of Newark, New Jersey play as the narrator explains how demographic shifts are impacting political power in the city and what African Americans are doing to exercise their newly acquired power. The narrator discusses the formation of an alliance between black and Puerto Rican groups based around "operational unity." A shot of a poster reveals a call to constituents to "Select qualified candidates to lead our city" and list Rep. Julian Bond, Dick Gregory, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee as speakers. An interview with Donald Tucker, a member of the convention organizing committee, begins. Tucker talks about the voter registration percentages in the black, Puerto Rican and white communities, and how this black and Puerto Rican political coalition will help create a government that addresses the needs of their communities. An interview with Hilda Hidalgo, a Puerto Rican member of the convention organizing committee, discusses where poor whites fit in with their political organization. She talks about how many poor whites don't believe they are in the same boat as the black and Puerto Rican communities, but nonetheless they are in need and deserving of the same services. She continues to make clear that the alliance is not anti-white, but rather that these communities must unify in order to make progress. The film returns to Amiri Baraka's speech; he puts out a rallying cry for the audience to get out the vote and elect the convention's endorsed candidates. After Baraka finishes his speech, the audience erupts in the Swahili chant, "Harambe," which is call for unity and collective work and struggle of the family. The narrator then explains the shift from the convention to running the election campaign itself. There is a scene of a Puerto Rican man holding a flyer endorsing Ken Gibson for mayor. The narrator further explains that Gibson is a different kind of candidate; instead of the candidate leading the community, the community leads the candidate. Multiple shots of Gibson and Stevie Wonder surrounding by people walking through the streets of Newark. Gibson states that this is more than just a political crusade, but a movement to get real political power into the hands of the people. Stevie Wonder is interviewed and talks about how he's happy to hear about increases in voter registration. A series of brief interviews with people on the street explaining their support for Gibson's candidacy. A man registers people to vote outside a local store, Stevie Wonder dances on a Gibson campaign float, and the film ends with a campaign truck urging people vote April 2nd.

Place filmed

Newark, Essex county, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Movement

African American - Latinx Solidarity

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Activism

Film

Mass media

Musicians

Politics (Practical)

Race relations

U.S. History, 1969-2001

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.79.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd56202fb09-d79a-4e75-88d0-331fd89022a6

Julian Bond (Black Journal segment)

Produced by

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Subject of

Representative Julian Bond, American, 1940 - 2015

O'Dwyer, Paul, American, 1907 - 1998

Maddox, Lester, American, 1915 - 2003

Date

1969

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 11 Minutes

Length (Film): 420 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Julian Bond

Caption

This 16mm film is a short documentary produced for the National Educational Television program Black Journal. It examines the promising political career of civil rights activist and then member of the Georgia State Legislature, Julian Bond.

Description

This 16mm color film is a short documentary produced for the Black Journal television program on the early and promising political career of Julian Bond; a civil rights activist and then member of the Georgia State Legislature. In this short film, Julian Bond discusses his constituents and political conflicts and goals as a black activist.

The film begins with the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where Democrats announced their nomination of Julian Bond for Vice President of the United States. The narrator then begins to describe who Julian Bond is and how he started his political career as a civil rights activist, and later shifting his efforts to the political arena. Julian Bond discusses why he got involved in politics and how he hopes to use it to implement some of the changes he advocated for during his years as an activist. As a young and popular politician, he is in high demand and travels to New York to campaign on behalf of New York State Senatorial candidate Paul O'Dwyer. In New York, he engages in a light debate with an African American bystander who questions why he would campaign on behalf of a Ccaucasian politician that he believes is focused on black rights and progress. Another clip from the 1968 Democratic National Convention plays, in which Bond mentions Lester Maddox. An interview with Bond inside of a moving car follows. Julian Bond discusses the economic and social demographic of his constituents, as well as his options for effectively creating change from within the political system. He also discusses his opinions on segregation and integration, and the pros and cons of each regarding specific things like public education and black owned businesses. The films ends with the narrator asking whether or not Julian Bond can continue to express the will of black America while still attracting support from white America.

Place filmed

New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America

Scarsdale, Westchester County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Portfolio/Series

Black Journal segment

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Activism

Civil rights

Education

Film

Politics (Practical)

Race discrimination

Race relations

Television

U.S. History, 1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.99.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd55238b40d-c136-4de5-9333-e4cc622296f8

Hands of Inge

Directed by

Fletcher, John W. Jr., American

Edited by

Beveridge, Tee, American, 1923 - 1993

Subject of

Hardison, Inge, American, 1914 - 2016

Composed by

Mal Waldron, American, 1925 - 2002

Carter, Ron, American, born 1937

Dolphy, Eric, American, 1928 - 1964

Narrated by

Davis, Ossie, American, 1917 - 2005

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

ca. 1962

Medium

acetate film and metal

Dimensions

Duration: 10 Minutes

Length (Film): 412 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Hands of Inge

Caption

This 16mm black and white film is a short film exploring the work and methodology of acclaimed African American sculptor Inge Hardison. The film, made relatively early in her career, details her working processes with clay, bronze, and wire.

Description

The 16mm, black-and-white film serves as a short introduction to the work and methodology of acclaimed African American sculptor Inge Hardison. The film, made relatively early in her career, details her working processes with clay, bronze, and wire. The camera largely focuses on her hands, although there are also some shots that include her full body and the model, a young girl, Hardison's daughter, Yolande. The jazz music soundtrack features Mal Waldron, Eric Dolphy, Ron Carter, and Toni Ross. Hortense Beveridge edited the film. There is some voiceover narration by Ossie Davis.

The film opens with close-ups of Hardison's hands as she displays some tools, cuts a piece of metal, and begins the process of making clay for sculpture. The next scene shows her hands working with metal wire and wood and using wire cutters as she twists the metal around another object. At this point in the film, the narration by Ossie Davis begins. He introduces Hardison and then the camera shot pulls back to show her working on a sculpture on a waist-high table. All of the materials from the previous scene appear to have been used in the sculpture she is working on. The camera shot returns to a close-up of her hands as she molds the clay around the wire. As she continues to work, the clay is molded into the shape of a human head, and Davis reveals that she is creating a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. The next scenes show some of her other sculpture, including one of Father John Coleman of Brooklyn, Nellie Carrington from the book Smokey Town Road written by Hardison, Elaine Atwell, and her niece Minnie Hardison. The montage of her works ends with a small full nude sculpture. The next scene shows a close-up of hands working on a sculpture of her daughter. Then the footage shows her daughter and compares her to the sculpture with sporadic narration by Davis. He then explains how she is preparing the sculpture to be made into bronze. The next scene shows her hands using pliers to work with wire. The final design shown is a man made of wire in a running position. The film ends with a montage of her hands with and without tools.

Place filmed

Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

black-and-white films (visual works)

short subjects

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Actors

Art

Jazz (Music)

Process films

Women

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.9.1ac

Restrictions & Rights

No known copyright restrictions

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5c45b93d7-bdd0-4353-a4b6-600de94c0223

A People's Convention

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Created by

Union Films, 1946 - 1953

Produced by

Marzani, Carl, 1912 - 1994

Directed by

Glandbard, Max, American, 1915 - 1987

Subject of

Progressive Party, American, 1948 - 1955

Robeson, Paul, American, 1898 - 1976

Henry Wallace, American, 1888 - 1965

Composed by

Hovey, Serge, American, 1920 - 1989

Date

1948

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 15 Minutes

Length (Film): 600 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of A People's Convention

Caption

"This fifteen-minute documentary provides an invaluable record of the Progressive Party’s gathering even as it combines “people’s songs” with film in an innovative, almost experimental manner. As with several earlier Union Films productions, there is some effort to theatricalize events. A People’s Convention has a protagonist, “Joe,” who is attending the convention and is shown in both the introductory and final shot, while making several appearances over the course of the picture. His presence, however, is quickly subsumed by the desire to document the convention, which was all the more urgent given the distortions that were being generated by the news media."

Musser, Charles. "A People’s Convention (Union Films, 1948)." Charles Musser. Accessed May 12, 2016. http://www.charlesmusser.com/?page_id=1672.

Description

16mm film. This documentary film covers the 1948 Progressive Party Convention in Philadelphia, PA. Produced by Union Films.

Place filmed

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

black-and-white films (visual works)

short subjects

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Film

Folk (Music)

Mass media

Politics (Practical)

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.1.1a

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd52d70b541-e540-4d19-8a59-812b9cfeb89d

Hunts Point home movie

Created by

Unidentified

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

ca.1949

Medium

acetate film and metal

Dimensions

Duration: 4 Minutes

Length (Film): 150 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Hunts Point home movie

Caption

This 16mm film is a home movie shot circa 1949 in the Hunts Point neighborhood in Bronx, New York. It features footage of street scenes, local businesses, and regional transportation methods.

Description

16mm, silent, black-and-white film of the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. The footage includes storefronts, street scenes, and cars.The film begins with a street scene. A police car is driving towards the camera, and the camera follows the car as it passes by. The next scene shows two street signs at an intersection. One of the street signs reads Washington St. The next scene shows a storefront window advertising the Beaird Produce Co. and Beaird Seafoods, Ltd. The next scene shows cars driving down the street away from the camera. Also in the footage is an elevated segment of the New York Central Railroad, and several restaurant and bar signs on the side of the buildings. The next scene includes a close-up of the elevated railroad with the New York Central name painted on the side. The camera pans the side of a building that the railroad passes through. The next scene shows another advertisement on a window, and this one reads Boneless Meat. The remaining scenes appear to be filmed from a moving fishing boat. The footage shows other fishing boats in the water and a brief shot of the boat captain.

Place filmed

Hunts Point, New York City, Bronx County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

silent films

home movies

black-and-white films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Business

Communities

Film

Transportation

Urban life

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.15.1a

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd517c16758-d6d7-4cf7-aa64-582c9643d4db

Alice Coltrane (Black Journal segment)

Produced by

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Greaves, William, American, 1926 - 2014

Directed by

Bourne, St. Clair, American, 1943 - 2007

Subject of

Coltrane, Alice, American, 1937 - 2007

Coltrane, John, American, 1926 - 1967

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1970

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 17 Minutes

Length (Film): 580 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Alice Coltrane (Black Journal segment)

Caption

This 16mm film is a documentary segment focusing on the life of Alice Coltrane and her children in the wake of the death of her husband, famed jazz magician John Coltrane.

Description

The 16mm color film print is a short documentary made for a segment of National Education Television's Black Journal television program. The segment focuses on the life of Alice Coltrane and her children in the wake of the death of her husband, famed jazz magician John Coltrane. This film was shot sometime during 1970; three years after the death of John Coltrane.

This film opens with a collage of photos of jazz musician John Coltrane with a voice-over of a male narrator communicating the musical genius and personal demeanor of the renowned music artist. The voice-over ends with an open-ended statement on John Coltrane's family; leading into an interview with his wife, Alice Coltrane. Alice Coltrane discusses the influence her late husband has had on her life, both musically and spiritually. She speaks of him being a spiritual person, although not tied to one organized religion, his vegetarian diet, and the how he carved time out of his days to meditate. There is footage of their children playing in the yard and walking with their mother. Alice plays the harp and talks about how her music is a manifestation of her spirituality. She discusses her musical career and how she balances that with being a mother and paying tribute to her late husband, but also not wanting to be defined as an extension of John Coltrane's music. Instead, when she finds herself playing some of the music he wrote, she sees herself as sharing in what he produced throughout his career. Footage of her playing the piano at a small jazz concert with a few other musicians plays for two minutes. In the final minutes of the segment, Alice Coltrane explains her relationship with a higher power and the personal enlightenment she has felt and gained through meditation. The film ends with a dolly-out/zoom-out long shot of Alice Coltrane and her children waving from their home.

Place filmed

Dix Hills, Huntington, Long Island, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

color films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Families

Jazz (Music)

Motherhood

Musicians

Profile films

Spirituality

Television

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.16.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Usage

Usage conditions apply

10 year streaming license agreement with WNET. Agreement is dated May 16 2017.

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5cc27a5ab-2c2f-4077-9403-28720a470ace

Ages of Time

Created by

MPO Television Films, American, 1950 - 1970

Commissioned by

Hamilton Watch Company, American, founded 1892

Edited by

Beveridge, Tee, American, 1923 - 1993

Narrated by

Meredith, Burgess, American, 1907 - 1997

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1959

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Length (film): 700Feet

Duration (digital file): 00:17:59

Title

16mm motion picture film of Ages of Time

Caption

"Ages of Time" is a corporate film produced by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1959. it chronicles the history of time and timekeeping, and is narrated by Burgess Meredith.

Description

A corporate documentary film chronicling the history of timekeeping, edited by African American film editor Hortense Beveridge. "Ages of Time" was produced in 1959 by the Hamilton Watch Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and is narrated by renowned actor Burgess Meredith.

Place made

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

Egypt, Africa

Italy, Europe

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

color films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Advertising

Business

Film

Mass media

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.3.1a

Restrictions & Rights

Public Domain

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd58dab8ae0-33c0-4df8-8d88-37795f7e5114

The Nation of Common Sense (Black Journal segment)

Produced by

Bourne, St. Clair, American, 1943 - 2007

Subject of

Muhammad, Elijah, American, 1897 - 1975

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

ca. 1970

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 24 Minutes

Length (Film): 850 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Nation of Common Sense

Caption

"Nation of Common Sense" is a documentary produced by St. Clair Bourne for the WNET program, "Black Journal." It focuses on the Nation of Islam and its goals of total economic self-sufficiency and separation from white people. Various enterprises are are shown, such as the Muhammad Speaks newspaper and Shabazz Bakery, and a number of prominent NOI members, including Elijah Muhammad, are interviewed.

Description

The film begins with tracking shots from a moving vehicle as it moves through an unidentified neighborhood. In voiceover, an unidentified woman describes her search for spiritual meaning, how Christianity failed her, and how she came to the Nation of Islam. Shots of a storefront church are shown in addition to the tracking shots. The next segment begins with shots of men selling the "Muhammad Speaks" newspaper on street corners. As a shot of a rotating crescent and star is shown, a narrator (St. Clair Bourne) begins discussing the economic enterprises of the Nation of Islam. A montage of various NOI businesses plays as he speaks. The film then focuses on the publishing of "Muhammad Speaks." The paper's editor, John Woodford, explains the focus of the paper and highlights its wide circulation. Woodford continues on to say that the paper is attacked for printing the truth and that Elijah Muhammad does not have an undue influence over its content. As shots of the newspaper's production are shown, the narrator explains the high quality of the infrastructure to which the paper has access. Eugene Majeed, art director for the paper is then interviewed about his artwork. As Majeed explains his approach, images of his pieces are shown. The narrator concludes the segment with an explanation of the paper's future plan for expanded distribution over images of the printing facilities. The next segment focuses on NOI schools and begins with an interview of Beverly X who heads an NOI school in Chicago. She explains the NOI approach to education and how it differs from traditional public school. A classroom at the school is shown as students learn how to tell time. The segment concludes with Beverly X excoriating black teachers at public schools for failing their students. The segment begins with an interview of John Ali, the NOI National Secretary. He explains that the goal of the various NOI enterprises is to be totally self-sufficient. Shots of an NOI grocery store illustrate the point. The narrator then takes over to futher explain how the nation encourages black communities to spend their money at NOI businesses, such as grocery stores and bakeries, and how their businesses are vertically integrated. The narration and the images shown transition to how the NOI buys farm land to supply all of their businesses. The narrator introduces a farm in Cassopolis, MI managed by Cornelius X. Williams. Williams explains the origins of the farm and how it faced local resistance when it was founded. The narrator lists the many activities of the farm as they are shown in montage. The segment concludes with Williams explaining his satisfaction with working on a farm built with a larger purpose in mind. The film then abruptly shifts subjects to the NOI's opinion of Malcolm X. John Ali explains that Malcolm X never should have left the nation and lost his way when he did. The next segement is an interview with Elijah Muhammad in his home conducted by St. Clair Bourne. The first question concerns the origins of the NOI and Muhammad answers in turn. In a follow up, Muhammad declares that Islam is the true religion, "The very nature," of black people and that all black people are brothers regardless of geography. The next question focuses on NOI participation in politics. Muhammad explains that Muslims have politics, but it is based upon on the teachings of the Koran. He further explains that the NOI are seeking to have a separate land of their own away from white people. At the end of the interview, the narration continues and explains that the NOI is a way of life for its members. The film concludes with a final shot of a man selling copies of "Muhammad Speaks" on a street corner.

Place filmed

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Cassopolis, Cass county, Michigan, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Portfolio/Series

Black Journal segment

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

color films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Agriculture

Business

Education

Film

Religion

Religious groups

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.42.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5095f0d6e-d87d-417a-8838-80d80e80d9fc

Something to Build On

Directed by

Bourne, St. Clair, American, 1943 - 2007

Produced by

Chamba Productions, founded 1971

Composed by

Hancock, Herbie, American, born 1940

Subject of

Nairobi College, founded 1969

Created by

California State University, Los Angeles, American, founded 1947

Subject of

The City College of the City University of New York, American, founded 1847

St. Petersburg College, American, founded 1927

Clark Atlanta University, American, founded 1988

Morehouse College, American, founded 1867

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1971

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 30 Minutes

Length (Film): 1190 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Something to Build On

Caption

16mm color film directed by St. Clair Bourne and produced by his production company, Chamba Productions, for the College Entrance Examination Board. The film provides various perspectives on the college experience and presents resources to encourage minority youth to attend college.

Description

16mm color film directed by St. Clair Bourne and produced his production company, Chamba Productions, for the College Entrance Examination Board. The film provides various perspectives on the college experience and presents resources to encourage minority youth to attend college.

The film begins with an introduction animated segment of a young black man walking down a city sidewalk and then entering a doorway with the word College written over it. A musical soundtrack accompanies the animation. He walks down the hallway past doors and a trophy case while the voiceover narration begins. The narration focuses on thinking about how to get started on applying for college. The animation sequence depicts the prospective student collecting paperwork and talking to the appropriate people to take to the door with a college sign next to it. The animated introduction ends and the film transitions to live action and the title of the film. A man runs out of a storefront across a parking lot to his car. The next scene shows a professor leading a class discussion in a classroom. Then there is an exterior shot of Nairobi College and the man from earlier in the film running in the front door. The college is located in a small house. The narrator introduces the college and the man joins the classroom conversation. The narrator introduces Nate Perry, the man that has been in the film, and he talks about enrolling in Nairobi College. The narrator explains that the purpose of the college is to teach leaders for non-white communities and break down the separation of the college and the community by holding classes in different locations. The next scene shows the Nairobi College Cultural Center and students playing music and dancing. The next subject of the film is California State College (California State University) in Los Angeles. The narrator discusses the importance of the college for the Mexican American community. There is a shot of the front door of College Recruitment for Educational Opportunity (CREO). The door also has a sign for Community Relations for Educational Opportunity (also CREO). People are shown walking into the office and talking to someone in the office and he answers questions about gaining admission to college. A man is shown talking outside and a group discussion ensues about confronting the power structure. An inside classroom discussion also shows students talking about similar problems as those in the outside discussion. The next scene shows New York City and the narrator begins talking about City College of New York in Harlem and the importance of providing both financial assistance as well as special counseling and tutoring. However, the narrator points out that black and Puerto Rican students demanded an open admissions policy. A group of students is shown discussing education issues and going back to the community to work and raise awareness. The narrator introduces Megan McLaughlin, and she describes through a voiceover narration the Search for Elevation, Education, and Knowledge (SEEK) Program. She is shown walking on sidewalks during the voiceover narration. The next scene features St. Petersburg College, and the narrator discusses attending a junior college before attending a four-year institution. Students share their experiences and how students can benefit from attending a junior college. The smaller classes are beneficial and the opportunity to balance home life with attending college are among those benefits. The scene is filmed inside of a moving car while Don Gekkins, director of the Service Center Program, talks about how the program works. The next scene shows him entering a classroom where children are reciting words displayed on cards held by a tutor from the junior college. Don Gekkins is then shown leaving his house with his two sons and playing with them. Gekkins, in a voiceover narration, describes growing up in a depressed area of St. Petersburg. The next scene shows a college marching band leading a parade down a street. The narrator discusses this parade in the context of a four-year university and the distractions of a four-year university, particularly sports events. The university being discussed appears to be Howard University in Washington, D.C. After footage of cheerleaders and a football game, a football player is interviewed about attending college on a scholarship. After the interview, there is footage of a football practice. The next scene includes an interview with Tom Nelson, a college graduate and ex-professional football player. The next scene shows two men picking up trash on the sidewalk, then some other men performing municipal trash service. There is footage of a college campus, probably Clark University in Atlanta, while the narrator discusses the main reasons for attending college. The next scene shows a woman walking on a sidewalk and into a building while the narrator begins a discussion about financial aid. The woman enters an office and talks to a financial aid officer while the narrator discusses the difference between types of financial aid. The next scene shows a student from Nigeria at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and he discusses studying science to bring back knowledge to Nigeria. The film ends with the narrator presenting a summary of what has been discussed, and there is a montage of images from the entire film.

Place filmed

East Palo Alto, San Mateo County, California, United States, North and Central America

Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America

Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, United States, North and Central America

Harlem, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

color films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Dance

Education

Football

HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)

Urban life

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.54.1a

Restrictions & Rights

Public Domain

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5360af9b3-a3c4-46c5-83ce-cf770d242c24

Statues Hardly Ever Smile

Directed by

Lathan, Stan, American, born 1945

Produced by

Chamba Productions, founded 1971

Created by

Collins, Kathleen, American, 1942 - 1988

Produced by

Garrett, Kent, American, born 1941

Subject of

Brooklyn Museum, American, founded 1895

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1971

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 19 Minutes

Length (Film): 750 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film of Statues Hardly Ever Smile

Caption

16mm color film directed by Stan Lathan and produced by Chamba Productions for the Brooklyn Museum about a program to bring children from the local community into the museum to create performance art. Includes footage of children interacting with objects in the museum and creating performances based upon their reaction.

Description

A 16mm color film directed by Stan Lathan and produced by Chamba Productions about a program to bring children from the local community into the Brooklyn Museum to create performance art.

The film begins with the camera panning around a room with many cases in the Brooklyn Museum. Children are heard in the voiceover narration describing the statues. The footage also includes close-ups of some of the statues. The next scene shows children and young adults following spoken directions to pretend they are holding various objects in their hands. The narrator describes how the children spent time in the rotunda of the museum for six weeks, and there is footage of the children participating in dance exercises in the rotunda. The narrator describes the idea for the project to bring children together with an object and create a performance around that. The next scene shows an object and children touching the face of another object. Some other children are shown in front of a different museum object and holding the same pose as that object. Children in the voiceover narration describe thinking about the objects and questioning what the people depicted in the objects are doing. As the narrator describes, the children participated in improvisation based on the space and the objects around them. The footage includes a group of students discussing how to put on an improvisation based on an object. The next scene shows the students performing the improvisation in the rotunda that they created. One of the boys reflects on how he did the improvisation. In the next scene, the students perform a dance while a man plays a drum. The next scene shows a man playing the piano and singing and the children sing along with him. The music accompanies a montage of the students doing various activities shown in the film. The final scene shows the students leaving the museum, a bus traveling a city street, one of the students exiting the bus and greeting some friends as the credits appear. The film ends with children playing in a circle on a playground.

Place filmed

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

sound films

color films (visual works)

short subjects

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Art

Children

Communities

Dance

Education

Instrumentalists (Musicians)

Museums

Singers (Musicians)

Theatre

Urban life

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.63.1a

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd52c5ea12e-35e4-4b99-8497-29c7800bf706

Malcolm X Liberation University (Black Journal segment)

Produced by

Bourne, St. Clair, American, 1943 - 2007

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Greaves, William, American, 1926 - 2014

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Subject of

Dr. Shabazz, Betty, American, 1934 - 1997

X, Malcolm, American, 1925 - 1965

Interview of

Fuller, Howard, American, born 1941

Subject of

Harambee Singers, American, founded 1966

Reagon, Bernice Johnson, American, born 1942

Date

1969

On View

Concourse, C X06

Exhibition

A Century in the Making

Medium

acetate film and metal

Dimensions

Duration: 10 Minutes

Length (Film): 320 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture of Malcolm X Liberation University [Black Journal segment]

Caption

This 16mm film is a short documentary made for National Educational Television's Black Journal television program. Producer St. Clair Bourne chronicles the opening of Malcolm X Liberation University in Durham, North Carolina on October 25, 1969.

Description

This 16mm color film is a short documentary subject made for National Educational Television's Black Journal television program. Producer St. Clair Bourne chronicles the opening of Malcolm X Liberation University in North Carolina. It consists of: a 16mm film (a), original 400 foot film reel (b), and original 400 foot film canister (c).

2012.79.1.68.1a: The film opens with a student meeting/rally at Duke University, in which one unidentified student speaker (male) states why they longer wish to participate in a system they don't believe speaks to the needs of African American college students. A male narrator begins to speak, explaining what the Black Student Movement at Duke University was and how it originated and morphed into a separate institution. An interview with Howard Fuller begins to play, and he expresses why he doesn't believe in institutionalized black studies programs. Footage of him announcing the opening of Malcolm X Liberation University begins to play, and is followed by clips of the opening celebratory parade and rally. The narrator describes the new university's proposed curriculum and study abroad program in Africa. Howard Fuller addressed the crowd by reading a statement from Stokely Carmichael, and introduced guest speaker Betty Shabazz. During her speech, white train workers in a nearby train yard rang a train car bell to interrupt her speech. A visiting professor who was in attendance climbed on top of the train car and silenced the bell so Betty Shabazz could finish her speech. A small group of women sing "The Black Magician" onstage. Courtland Cox, a representative from Malcolm X Liberation University's sister school in Washington, DC, closed the ceremony. The film ends with an interview with Howard Fuller speaking on the role of Malcolm X Liberation University can and hopes to play in the black liberation struggle.

2012.79.1.68.1b: Original 400 foot film reel.

2012.79.1.68.1c: Original 400 foot film canister. The metal can has a sticker label from a film distribution company with the name of film.

Place filmed

Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America

Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

sound films

color films (visual works)

short subjects

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Civil Rights

Education

Film

Race discrimination

Race relations

Television

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.68.1abc

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Usage

Usage conditions apply

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ff49a8a3-10f3-473a-8719-85e8e5f89db0

South Africa Uncensored

Edited by

Beveridge, Tee, American, 1923 - 1993

Narrated by

Robeson, Paul, American, 1898 - 1976

Distributed by

Council on African Affairs, American, 1942 - 1955

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Date

1951

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 22 Minutes

Length (Film): 775 Feet

Title

16mm motion picture film print of South Africa Uncensored

Caption

"South Africa Uncensored" is an anti-apartheid film highlighting the African National Congress's struggle against the Union of South Africa government and its implementation of racial apartheid.

Description

16mm black and white film: this 16mm black and white film is an anti-apartheid film distributed by the Council on African Affairs. Edited by Hortense Beveridge and narrated by Paul Robeson.

Place filmed

South Africa, Africa

Place made

Harlem, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Movement

Anti-apartheid movements

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Activism

Africa

Film

Race discrimination

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.5.1a

Restrictions & Rights

Public Domain

Usage

Not determined

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5409dce50-09d0-4705-9ff3-7653b6ab4dee