NMAAHC Collections Search

Denim and suede suit jacket and bellbottoms worn by Charley Pride

Attributed to: Ortiz's Art Clothing and Ace Tailors, American
Worn by: Pride, Charley, American, born 1934

Medium: jacket: cotton denim, suede, and metal;; pants: cotton denim, suede, and metal
Dimensions: H x W (jacket): 30 1/2 x 20 in. (77.5 x 50.8 cm); Inseam (pants): 34 1/2 in. (87.6 cm); Jacket on Form: 30 1/2 x 25 x 14 1/2 in. (77.5 x 63.5 x 36.8 cm)

Type: jean jackets; trousers

Place made: Galveston, Texas, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1976

Description: This denim jean jacket (a) and bell-bottom jeans (b) with suede patchwork details were worn by Charley Pride. The blue jean jacket (a) is cut straight with full-length sleeves and a fold-over collar with exaggerated pointed lapels. It closes at the center front with four (4) round metal buttons that have the text "KEMINGTON / 20 / GA / EXPRESS" engraved around them. Rectangular patches of tan, brown, and ochre suede with blue denim are sewn on the front and back yoke. There are two (2) patch pockets, one at each front chest, with pointed flaps that close using one (1) button each, though the button on the proper right pocket is missing. The cuff of each sleeve closes with two (2) buttons each. The jacket is not lined. There is a size tag at the interior center back neck.; The bell-bottom blue jeans have side panels on each leg made from rectangular patches of tan, brown, and ochre suede with blue denim, matching the yoke decoration on the jacket (a). The pants close at the center front waist with a metal zipper, one (1) metal snap, and one (1) metal hook-and-eye. There is one (1) inset pocket at the proper right front waist. The pants are not lined.

Topic: African American; Clothing and dress; Country (Music); Instrumentalists (Musicians); Singers (Musicians)

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Charley Pride

Object number: 2012.125.50ab

Restrictions & Rights: Public domain

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Clothing-Costume
Exhibition: Musical Crossroads
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Group portrait of men in Masonic costume

Created by: Rev. Anderson, Henry Clay, American, 1911 - 1998
Subject of: Unidentified Man or Men; Freemasonry, American, founded 1730

Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions: H x W (Sheet): 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm)

Type: black-and-white prints (photographs); portraits

Place made: Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1948-1970s

Description: The men are all dressed in Masonic costume; their hats read "Bethel Lodge" above the freemason emblem of square and compass. Their individual names or initials are also on their hats. Eight stand in the image's middleground while five sit in the foreground.

Topic: African American; Associations and institutions; Photography; Segregation

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Charles Schwartz and Shawn Wilson

Object number: 2012.137.3.1

Restrictions & Rights: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Photography
Exhibition: Power of Place
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 051

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Four Women

16mm motion picture film of Four Women

Directed by: Dash, Julie, American, born 1952
Recorded by: Simone, Nina, American, 1933 - 2003
Subject of: Young, Linda Martina, American
Owned by: Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film
Dimensions: Duration: 8 Minutes; Length (Film): 300 Feet

Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed: United States, North and Central America

Date: 1975

Caption: This 16mm film by Julie Dash uses dance to explore African American female identity and stereotypes. The featured dancer is Linda Martina Young, and the accompanying music is "Four Women" by Nina Simone.
Description: Consists Of: 16mm Film (a).; 2012.79.1.40.1a: 16mm film. The film begins with a completely black frame with the sound of chanting in the background before the title of the film appears. There is then a series of closeup shots of a dancer (L. Martina Young) underneath a large sheet of translucent fabric and large sheets of cloth as the dancer slowly moves. The sound changes to an unidentified indigenous group singing and chanting as the dancer continues to move under the fabric. As the dancer continues her interpretive moves, the sound again changes to that of a whip being used, the sound of running water, and the sound of moaning/wailing voices. In the following sequence, Nina Simone’s “Four Women” begins to play and the dancer’s costume changes to a long dress and shawl, which reflects the first character of the song, Aunt Sarah. The Aunt Sarah character is representative of slavery. In the next series of shots, the dancer has changed to a black dress and black veil as Simone describes the next character, Safronia, who is of mixed race and the product of her mother being raped by a white man. As Simone begins describing the next character, Sweet Thing, a prostitute with both black and white clients, there are close up shots of the body part being described. The dancer has changed to a loose floral print dress and her hair is no longer tied back or hidden by a veil. In the fourth and final sequence, the dancer is wearing cornrows and has changed to a brightly colored tube top and matching pants to represent Simone's character, Peaches, a black woman toughened by generations of oppression. Prior to the song’s and the film’s conclusion, there is a brief montage of all four women as portrayed by the dancer.

Topic: African American; Dance; Film; Identity; Stereotypes; Women

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

Object number: 2012.79.1.40.1abc

Restrictions & Rights: Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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

The Black G.I. Black Journal segment

16mm motion picture film of 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
Owned by: Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931
Subject of: Bennett, L. Howard

Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film
Dimensions: Duration: 50 Minutes; Length (Film): 1,800 Feet

Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed: H? Chí Minh, Thành Ph?, H? Chí Minh, Viet Nam, Asia; Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Asia; Arlington County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1971

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.; Contains: 16mm Film (a), Original 1,600 foot Film Reel (b), and Original 1,600 foot Film Canister (c).; 2012.79.1.51.1a: 16mm film. 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.; 2012.79.1.51.1b: Original 1,600 foot film reel.; 2012.79.1.51.1c: Original 1,600 foot film canister. The metal film canister has two sticker labels; each from a different film services company.

Topic: African American; 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

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

The Black G.I. Black Journal segment

16mm motion picture film of 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
Owned by: Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931
Subject of: Bennett, L. Howard

Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film
Dimensions: Duration: 50 Minutes; Length (Film): 1,800 Feet

Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed: H? Chí Minh, Thành Ph?, H? Chí Minh, Viet Nam, Asia; Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Asia; Arlington County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
Place made: 5708 Arundel Ave., Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1971

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 preservation 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.; Contains: 16mm Film (a), Original 1,600 foot Film Reel (b), and Original 1,600 foot Film Canister (c).; 2012.79.1.51.1a: 16mm film. 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.; 2012.79.1.51.1b: Original 1,600 foot film reel.; 2012.79.1.51.1c: Original 1,600 foot film canister. The metal film canister has two sticker labels; each from a different film services company.

Topic: African American; 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: 2012.79.1.51.2ab

Restrictions & Rights: © National Educational Television

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

The Black G.I. Black Journal segment

16mm motion picture film of 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
Owned by: Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931
Subject of: Bennett, L. Howard

Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film
Dimensions: Duration: 50 Minutes; Length (Film): 1,800 Feet

Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed: H? Chí Minh, Thành Ph?, H? Chí Minh, Viet Nam, Asia; Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Asia; Arlington County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
Place made: 5708 Arundel Ave., Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1971

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 preservation 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.; Contains: 16mm Film (a), Original 1,600 foot Film Reel (b), and Original 1,600 foot Film Canister (c).; 2012.79.1.51.1a: 16mm film. 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.; 2012.79.1.51.1b: Original 1,600 foot film reel.; 2012.79.1.51.1c: Original 1,600 foot film canister. The metal film canister has two sticker labels; each from a different film services company.

Topic: African American; 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: 2012.79.1.51.3ab

Restrictions & Rights: © National Educational Television

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

The Black G.I. Black Journal segment

16mm motion picture film of 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
Owned by: Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931
Subject of: Bennett, L. Howard

Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film
Dimensions: Duration: 50 Minutes; Length (Film): 1,800 Feet

Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed: H? Chí Minh, Thành Ph?, H? Chí Minh, Viet Nam, Asia; Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Asia; Arlington County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
Place made: 5708 Arundel Ave., Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1971

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 preservation 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.; Contains: 16mm Film (a), Original 1,600 foot Film Reel (b), and Original 1,600 foot Film Canister (c).; 2012.79.1.51.1a: 16mm film. 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.; 2012.79.1.51.1b: Original 1,600 foot film reel.; 2012.79.1.51.1c: Original 1,600 foot film canister. The metal film canister has two sticker labels; each from a different film services company.

Topic: African American; 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: 2012.79.1.51.4ab

Restrictions & Rights: © National Educational Television

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

It's The Same Old Game

16mm motion picture film of It's The Same Old Game

Directed by: Hobson, Charles, American, 1936 -
Interview of: Bond, Max, American; De Vore, Dan, American; Bowser, Leroy, American; Davidoff, Paul, American; Flores, José, American; Román, Francisco A., American; Dr. Carroll, J. D., American
Written by: Bowser, Leroy, American
Created by: Garcia, Jose, American
Edited by: Jackson, Bob, American
Composed by: Taylor, Rheet, American
Produced by: Chambra Productions; United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, American, founded 1965
Created by: Symes, Art, American
Owned by: Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film
Dimensions: Duration: 23 Minutes; Length (Film): 900 Feet

Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America; Jamaica, Queens, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1971

Caption: “It’s the Same Old Game” is a 16mm color film on urban studies directed by Charles Hobson. It was made to encourage citizen participation in the planning process, and shows examples of poor urban planning and development in which the residents had no voice. This film features interviews with children about their neighborhood, community activists, and planners that advocate for community involvement.
Description: A 16mm color film that features interviews with children about their neighborhood, interviews with community activists, and planners that advocate for community involvement. Aimed at the local citizen, this film encourages citizen participation in the planning process. Footage shows problematic aspects of poor urban planning, including air pollution caused by trucks, water pollution, and other problems with industrial areas to close to residential areas. Footage also includes a contentious meeting on the construction of a new high school near Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn.; 2012.79.1.52.1a: 16mm color film.; The film begins with a voiceover narration and a soft music soundtrack. The narration explains that without citizen involvement in the planning process, then planning will be, as the title suggests, "the same old game." The film then shows three men standing over a table with a model of a city plan on it. The next scene features Leroy Bowser standing with a pole over a large floor model of New York City. As he discusses housing in the city, he moves around the model and points to different neighborhoods. The next scenes show houses and streets in Jamaica, Queens. Children are interviewed, and they discuss problems with crime and sanitation. The next interview is with Dan De Vore, and he talk about problems with housing that shares neighborhood space with industrial businesses. The footage then shows more street scenes and interviews with the same group of children from earlier in the film. The next scene features a group of planners looking at plans on a table. The next interview is with Max Bond, and he discusses the importance of community power. An unidentified woman joins in and remarks about the "game," and the struggle to figure out how to leverage it to the community's advantage. Max Bond agrees and suggests one way to change the "game" is to that elect people from the neighborhood onto planning commissions and into other offices. The next person to speak is Art Symes, and he remarks that even with getting community people involved in planning commissions, the old methods require change as well. The next scene shows street scenes in Harlem, and then an aerial view of the streets from the top of a building. The next interview is with Paul Davidoff, and he discusses the problems with white professional planners making decisions on planning without working with people on the street and understanding what they need and the problems to fix. The next scenes show various problems with housing near industrial districts. In particular, the film shows the problems in Red Hook, Brooklyn, such as the air pollution close to recreation areas for children. The film continues to show a variety of industrial blight mixed in with housing in south Brooklyn. The next interview is with José Flores, and he discusses how to improve neighborhood aesthetics and the problems with heavy trucks traveling through the neighborhood. The next scenes show the problem with a highway cutting through a neighborhood. The next scene shows a community meeting about a planned high school for Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. About a half dozen residents speak out about the planning process and how decisions are made. The main issue appears to be black and white children attending the high school together. There are also many shots of the audience at the meeting. The next interview is with Francisco A. Román as he is in the process of moving his mother out of her apartment because of his concerns about rising crime in the Red Hook neighborhood. The next interview is with Dr. J.D. Carroll, and he talks about the planning in a broader sense of how all of the smaller parts fit together across the entire region and the problems with competing interests. The next scene features Greenburg, New York, where low density, low income housing exists away from industrial areas. There are several shots of children walking around and playing basketball. The final scenes area a montage of clips from the film. The film ends with a shot of traffic coming towards the camera as the film credits are displayed.; 2012.79.1.52.1b: Original metal film reel.; 2012.79.1.52.1c: Original metal film can. On the film can, there is a label with information that reads [Sterling/ Educational Films/ 241 East 34th Street New York 16, N.Y./ Title: Same Old Game/ Print No. I].

Topic: African American; Activism; Children; Communities; Health; Housing; Urban life; Urban planning

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

Object number: 2012.79.1.52.1a

Restrictions & Rights: Public Domain

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Pearl Bower Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Something to Build On

16mm motion picture film of 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

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

Something to Build On

16mm motion picture film of 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; 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

Statues Hardly Ever Smile

16mm motion picture film of 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

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

Statues Hardly Ever Smile

16mm motion picture film of Statues Hardly Ever Smile

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

Statues Hardly Ever Smile

16mm motion picture film of Statues Hardly Ever Smile

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

New-Ark Black Journal segment

16mm motion picture film of 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

Medium: 16mm Film (a): acetate film
Dimensions: Duration: 9 Minutes; Length (Film): 330 Feet

Type: motion pictures (information artifacts)

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

Date: 1970

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.; Consists of: 16mm Film (a).; 2012.79.1.79.1a: 16mm film. The film open 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.

Topic: African American; Activism; Film; Mass media; Musicians; Politics (Practical); Race relations; United States--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

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

Boxing headgear worn by Muhammad Ali

Created by: Everlast Worldwide, Inc., founded 1910
Owned by: Ali, Muhammad, American, 1942 - 2016
Subject of: Dundee's 5th St. Gym, American, 1950 - 1983

Medium: leather, padding, cloth, metal
Dimensions: H x W x D: 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 7 in. (21.6 x 26.7 x 17.8 cm)

Type: headgear

Place collected: Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, North and Central America

Date: ca. 1973

Caption: It was in this gym and the surrounding neighborhood with its vibrant mix of racial, political and cultural identities, some have argued, that Cassius Clay took his first crucial steps to becoming Muhammad Ali.
Description: Black leather boxing headgear with yellow interior. Open face design with cheek protection and adjustable head and chin straps for customized fit. "EVERLAST" label on front.

Topic: African American; Athletes; Boxing

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number: 2010.19.1

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Tools and Equipment-Sports and Recreational
Exhibition: Making a Way Out of No Way
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 050

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Colorized photo of Mae Reeves & her son Sonny

Photograph by: Unidentified
Subject of: Reeves, Mae, American, 1912 - 2016; Mincey, William Jr., American

Medium: ink on paper
Dimensions: H x W (Image): 8 x 6 1/4 in. (20.3 x 15.9 cm); H x W (Sheet): 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm)

Type: photographs; portraits

Place collected: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America

Date: ca. 1965

Description: Colorized photo of Mae Reeves and likely her son, William "Sonny" Mincey Jr. wearing an Army Sergeant's dress uniform. Mae wears a white dress with silk bodice and large floral decorations on the skirt. She also wears a dark cloth on her forearm and hand.

Topic: African American; Families; Photography

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from Mae Reeves and her children, Donna Limerick and William Mincey, Jr.

Object number: 2010.6.207

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Mae's Millinery Shop Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Photography

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Photograph of Mae Reeves standing outdoors

Photograph by: Unidentified
Subject of: Reeves, Mae, American, 1912 - 2016

Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions: H x W (Image): 6 15/16 x 3 1/8 in. (17.6 x 7.9 cm); H x W (Sheet): 7 1/8 x 3 15/16 in. (18.1 x 10 cm)

Type: gelatin silver prints; portraits

Place collected: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Place captured: Marine Corps Base Quantico, Prince William County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1975

Description: A black and white photo of Mae Reeves posing for a photo outdoors. She stands on a paved walkway in front of a fir tree and the photo is full length. She wears a printed knee-length, sleeveless dress. It has a dark background and is decorated with light colored flowers and lines crossing at 90 degree angles. She carries a purse in her left hand at her side and has her right hand raised by her shoulder

Topic: African American; Local and regional; Photography

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from Mae Reeves and her children, Donna Limerick and William Mincey, Jr.

Object number: 2010.6.208.1

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Mae's Millinery Shop Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Photography

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Metallic gold purse worn by Ophelia DeVore

Created by: Unidentified
Worn by: DeVore, Ophelia, American, 1922 - 2014

Medium: purse: plastic, cord, and synthetic fiber;; coin purse: synthetic fiber and metal;; mirror: reflective glass
Dimensions: H x W x D: 6 1/4 x 5 7/8 x 2 1/4 in. (15.9 x 14.9 x 5.7 cm)

Type: purses (bags)

Date: mid 20th century

Description: Gold faux leather purse (a) with attached coin purse (b) and hand mirror (c) worn by Ophelia DeVore. The purse (a) is rectangular with a front flap that fastens with a metal snap. The body is rigid and made from plastic finished to look like metallic gold leather. The handle is made from metallic gold cord that is run through a plastic loop on each side of the purse, with a large gold tassel below the loop to hold the cord to the purse.; The interior is lined in taupe synthetic fabric. There is one (1) interior pocket at the back side with an open top. A thin gold chain is attached to the proper right side of the pocket with a large safety pin. At the end of the chain is a coin purse (b) made from black synthetic fabric with a pressure knob opening. A square double-sided mirror (c) is slipped inside the interior pocket. The letters "HL" are handwritten in ink on the interior below the pocket opening with the letters "USA" stamped in black ink below them.

Topic: African American; Clothing and dress; Fashion

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ophelia DeVore

Object number: 2011.25.10abc

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Clothing-Fashion

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Dress worn by Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons

Designed by: Potter, Betsey, American
Created by: Unidentified
Worn by: Sanford, Isabel, American, 1917 - 2004
Subject of: The Jeffersons, American, 1975 - 1985

Medium: synthetic fiber, metal, rhinestones, and elastic
Dimensions: H x W x D (On form): 55 1/2 × 19 1/2 × 18 in. (141 × 49.5 × 45.7 cm); H x W (Flat): 56 1/4 × 15 in. (142.9 × 38.1 cm)

Type: dresses

Place used: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1979

Description: This dress was worn by Isabel Sanford as the character Louise Jefferson on the television show "The Jeffersons." The maxi dress is made of a synthetic knit fabric in a brown, rust, and beige design of speckled stripes bordering scallops that alternate facing up and down. The collar is a v-neck in both the front and the back, and is bordered with two strips of synthetic knit fabric in solid brown and rust. The same brown fabric is sewn at the hem in a four (4) inch wide band, that is folded to the back to form a doubled layer and quilted with five (5) horizontal parallel lines. On the exterior center front, a length of the dress fabric is attached to make a small faux belt, which serves to cover the fabric gathered by the interior elastic. This exterior strip is held on both sides by two (2) gold-colored metal buckles covered in clear and light yellow rhinestones. On the back, the dress closes with a dark brown zipper that runs up the center back from the waist to the collar, with an additional closure of a single hook-and-eye at the center back collar.; Orange elastic is stitched to the interior of the center front below the bustline to create a gathered empire waist. The elastic is covered by orange chiffon where it is attached. The length of orange elastic reaches beyond the stitched front portion, being long enough to reach around to the wearer's back waist for additional bust support. No back closure method is apparent on the elastic except for dark brown threads, indicating the elastic was sewn closed after the dress was put on by the wearer. The dress is not lined. An off-white fabric label with black embroidered text is sewn to the interior proper left side of the neck that reads: "THE WARDROBE WING / HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA". Three (3) off-white fabric labels are sewn into the side seam just above the hem detail including a retailer's label for "I MAGNIN", care instructions, and sizing.

Topic: African American; Actors; Clothing and dress; Costume; Sitcoms

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number: 2013.145.2

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Clothing-Costume
Exhibition: Taking the Stage
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 054

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Dress and belt worn by Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston on The Jeffersons

Designed by: Potter, Betsey, American
Created by: Unidentified
Worn by: Gibbs, Marla, American, born 1931
Subject of: The Jeffersons, American, 1975 - 1985

Medium: cotton, metal, and elastic
Dimensions: H x W x D (On form (ab)): 45 × 18 1/2 × 13 in. (114.3 × 47 × 33 cm); H x W (Flat (a)): 45 × 13 3/4 in. (114.3 × 34.9 cm); H x W (Flat (b)): 71 1/4 × 1/2 in. (181 × 1.3 cm)

Type: dresses

Place used: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1977-1980

Description: This dress (a) and belt (b) were worn by Marla Gibbs as the character Florence Johnston on the television show "The Jeffersons." The house dress and matching string belt are made from the same brown and taupe gingham check cotton.; The dress (a) is a knee-length A-line style with full length sleeves and a forward point collar. It has a concealed zipper closure at the center front, with the light brown zipper reaching from the waist to the collar. Above the top of the zipper closure, the front of the dress folds open at the center neck. There are two (2) rectangular patch pockets, one at each front hip. The set-in sleeves are straight cut with elastic at the wrist and no cuff. There is piping, in the same gingham check, along the neckline and in vertical strips on the proper left and proper right sides on both the front and back of the dress. A single gore of gingham check is sewn to the outside portion of the dress beside the piping at the proper left and proper right sides on the front and back, beginning approximately sixteen (16) inches above the hemline. Hem weights are sewn inside the dress hem, except at the front and back center panels. The dress is not lined. A rectangular white paper label is attached to the seam allowance at the interior proper left front side of the bodice that reads in handwritten black ink: "252".; The string belt (b) is a length of the gingham check cotton sewn on the bias. One end is turned and finished, while the other is unfinished but previously may have come unstitched.

Topic: African American; Actors; Clothing and dress; Costume; Sitcoms

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number: 2013.145.3ab

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Clothing-Costume

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Boxing headgear worn by Muhammad Ali

Colorized photo of Mae Reeves & her son Sonny

Photograph of Mae Reeves standing outdoors

Metallic gold purse worn by Ophelia DeVore

Dress worn by Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons

Dress and belt worn by Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston on The Jeffersons

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