Blast from the Past' with Raymond St. Jacques
Blast from the Past' features an excerpt from a 1970 interview with actor Raymond St. Jacques on Hollywood's prescribed roles for African American actors. He talks about his role in the John Wayne film, The Green Berets, and the continual struggle to get African American actors chosen and represented properly on film.
'Blast from the Past' with musician Jerry 'Iceman' Butler
'Blast from the Past' features and excerpt from an early 1970s Say Brother interview with musician Jerry 'Iceman' Butler where he talks about the difficulties for new performers to be given air time, especially African American musicians.
'Blast From the Past' with actor Julian Mayfield
'Blast from the Past' features an excerpt from the 1969 interview with actor Julian Mayfield who talks about the breadth of artistic creativity and ability in the African American community, and the need to avoid straight jacketing this artistic ability into proscribed narrow disciplines.
Black Youth and Education
African American youth and education in Boston. Program consists of numerous community affairs segments, the most prominent of which is a panel discussion directed by Sarah-Ann Shaw on African American youth and education in Boston. Guests include Jean McGuire (Roxbury resident and only Black Pupil Adjustment Counselor for the Boston public school system), Gerald Hill (an African American teacher and nominee for Interim Project Director of the King-Timilty Coalition), Francine Mills (director of
Black Solidarity Day
Black Solidarity Day 1972. Program addresses a variety of topics via a magazine-format presentation. Host John Slade introduces the following segments: 'Performance' with rock/jazz musicians Compost, 'Community Events' with Black Solidarity Day organizers Joseph Nkunta, Marie Firman, Karim Atiba Bayete, and Arnold Scott, 'Speak Out!' with Jack E. Robinson, President of the Boston Chapter of the NAACP (who talks about the need for adequate police protection in African American neighborhoods and a
Black Repertory Company
'Blast from the Past' with vocalist Miriam Makeba. Program is divided into two halves: the first consisting of three segments related to African American theater in Boston, the second of newsmagazine-style segments. Harold Stuart, Director of the Boston Black Repertory Company and company actors Mattye 'Mama' Long and Frederick Tyson discuss the differences between 'theater' and 'Black theater,' how Black theater affects members of the community, how talented individuals find the time to act, pr
'Black Nativity.'
Excerpt from 'Black Nativity,' performed by vocalists from the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. This musical production is based on the play 'Black Nativity.' by Langston Hughes.
Black Arts
Boston based artists discuss the meaning of Black art. Host Jim Spruill leads a discussion among 17 Boston-based artists on what Black art is and to whom the Black artist speaks. Group assembled includes Orma Jo Flint, Steve Hussein, Hakim Jami, Bob Nellums, Joanne Robinson, Robert Ruff, Joanne Sanders, Ralf Coleman, Ali Yusef, Carolyn Fitchert, Charles Holley, Gary Rickson, Dana Chandler, Jr., Lovett Thompson, John Wilson, and Elma Lewis. Program includes stills of the work of featured painters
Bill Viola's 'Reverse Television'
Bill Viola's 30-second portraits were about portraiture and the idea of a person staring at the viewer (as the viewer stares at the TV screen). This short excerpt shows a man seated on his couch, the only sounds heard being the load ticking of a clock, and the man's breathing.
Bartending at the Two O'Clock
Employees of the Two O'Clock, a Boston strip joint, talk about their lives and work. George, a bartender, talks about what it takes to be a bartender in a place like the Two O'Clock.
Barbara Two
'Barbara Two,' by Patrick Ireland, features a close-up portrait of a woman's face, with light and shadow playing across it by the manipulation of the light source. The woman in the piece is Barbara Novak. No master material exists for this piece that is two minutes long. Patrick Ireland was the pseudonym of Brian O'Doherty, a funder and critic of video art.
Aviation Memories
'Aviation Memories' is described as a 'virtual multi-channel video installation.' The work begins as an introduction to possible installations of video work, showing (with diagrams and animation) how monitors and related objects would be placed in a gallery setting. As the content of the video itself is described and presented, the work blurs the line between art object and planning document. Many of the images presented are derived from the illustrations of Jan Vredeman de Vries (1527-1604). Ar
Aviary
Based on a performance by Beth Galston, Ellen Sebring, and Sarah Skaggs. 'Aviary' is a melancholic mood piece that deals with themes of constraint and freedom. In this short sequence, images of a bird flying are superimposed over the figure of a lone female floating in a swimming pool.
Asian Pacific Heritage Celebration
David Sakura recalls life in Japanese detention camps in the United States during World War II. Program celebrates President Carter's bill proclaiming May 4 - May 10 Asian Pacific Heritage Week in honor of the cultural traditions of Asian Americans. Host Barbara Barrow-Murray speaks with Dr. David Sakura (part of Boston's Asian Pacific Heritage Week planning committee and member of the Japanese American Citizen's League) and Tin Yue Wan (a noted Chinese artist) in separate interviews. Topics of
As if Memories Could Deceive Me
'As if Memories Could Deceive Me,' 1986, documents a performance or rehearsal of the New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, through close-ups, split-screen effects, and collage techniques. Instruments are filmed close-up and appear in boxed-off portions of the screen. As the music rises, archival film images begin to creep in. Many times they are superimposed over the instruments. Film footage includes the interior of a colorful palace, Hitler propaganda and Nuremberg trials, and a men's c
Another Approach To Theatre
Al Jarreau performs 'You Don't See Me'Program focuses on three different African American theater productions. Host Barbara Barrow introduces the topic of Black theater and stage works Raisin (the Tony-Award-winning musical for 1974), The Black Dyad (about Black male and female relationships) and 'Theatre in Reverse,' a Say Brother theater piece with an in-studio vocal performance by Al Jarreau with dance performances (with the intent of drawing the audience's attention to sound and light, rathe
Anges Rebelles, Les
"In six minutes, a conjuring trick combining special effects and the magic of painting enables us to enter the world of Jacques Brissot. It is a visual poem that humorously recounts the building of a collage inspired from artist Peter Breugel's 'La Chute des Anges Rebelles.'" Artist Jacques Brissot is shown adding to and retouching a large-scale collage work, lending insight into his compositional choices and his techniques and methods. Music is by Michel Arich, with Barney Wilen playing saxopho
Ancient African Kingdoms National
'Dealin'' with African drummer Babatunde Olatunji. Program consists of numerous segments related to African heritage, the first of which is an excerpt from a filmstrip on the fall of the Songhay Empire in West Africa by the Afro Audiovisual Company of Boston. Additional segments include 'Bookbeat,' a 'Spotlight' stage performance by actress Beah Richards, 'Dealin'' with African drummer Babatunde Olatunji, 'Information' on traveling to Africa, and 'Commentary' by Sarah-Ann Shaw on the lack of Afr
Al Jarreau performs 'You Don't See Me'
As part of the Say Brother theater piece entitled 'Theatre in Reverse', Al Jarreau performs You Don't See Me, live in the studio.
African Meeting House is ready to open
Carmen Fields reports on the restoration of the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill. Fields reports that the Meeting House is the oldest African American church in the nation and that it was gutted by fire in 1973. Fields interviews Philip Hart (Board of Directors, African Meeting House) and Ruth Batson (Director, African Meeting House) for the report. Hart talks about the significance of the Meeting House. Batson talks about plans for music, scholarly debate, and religious services at the Meet
