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

Medium

16mm Film (a): acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 30 Minutes

Length (Film): 1190 Feet

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

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

Date

1971

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.

Consists of: 16mm Film (a).

2012.79.1.54.1a: 16mm film. 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.

Topic

African American

Dance

Education

Football

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

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

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

California State University, Los Angeles, American, founded 1947

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

Medium

16mm Film (a): acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 30 Minutes

Length (Film): 1190 Feet

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

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, United States, North and Central America

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

Date

1971

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.

Consists of: 16mm Film (a).

2012.79.1.54.2a: 16mm film. 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.

Topic

African American

Dance

Education

Football

Urban life

Credit Line

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

Object number

2012.79.1.54.2a

Restrictions & Rights

Public Domain

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

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

Medium

16mm Film (a): acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 19 Minutes

Length (Film): 750 Feet

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed

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

Date

1971

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

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.

Consists of: 16mm Print (a).

2012.79.1.63.1a: 16mm Print. 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.

Topic

African American

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

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Directed by

Lathan, Stan, American, born 1945

Produced by

Chamba Productions, founded 1971

Edited 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

Medium

16mm Film (a): acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 19 Minutes

Length (Film): 750 Feet

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed

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

Date

1971

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

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.

Consists of: 16mm Print (a).

2012.79.1.63.2a: 16mm Print. 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.

Topic

African American

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

2012.79.1.63.2a

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Produced by

Chamba Productions, founded 1971

Edited by

Collins, Kathleen, American, 1942 - 1988

Directed by

Lathan, Stan, American, born 1945

Produced by

Garrett, Kent, American, born 1941

Subject of

Brooklyn Museum, American, founded 1895

Medium

16mm Film (a): acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 19 Minutes

Length (Film): 720 Feet

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed

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

Date

1971

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

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.

Consists of: 16mm Print (a).

2012.79.1.63.3a: 16mm Print. 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.

Topic

African American

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

2012.79.1.63.3a

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Directed by

Lathan, Stan, American, born 1945

Produced by

Chamba Productions, founded 1971

Edited 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

Medium

16mm Film (a): acetate film

Dimensions

Duration: 19 Minutes

Length (Film): 720 Feet

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed

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

Date

1971

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

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.

Consists of: 16mm Print (a).

2012.79.1.63.4a: 16mm Print. 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.

Topic

African American

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

2012.79.1.63.4a

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture