Katherine Dunham - The HistoryMakers
Katherine Dunham - The HistoryMakers
Katherine Dunham - The HistoryMakers
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
Matriarch of Black Dance<br />
Spring 2006<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 1
Table of Contents<br />
Write On: the Art of <strong>The</strong> Written Word ..................3<br />
Volunteers .............................................................4<br />
A Tribute to Brock Peters .....................................5<br />
Celebrate Chuck Smith ........................................6<br />
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday and<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Open House ......................6<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Training Summit ....................7<br />
Upcoming Events .................................................8<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Founder and Executive Director Julieanna Richardson and Rev.<br />
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.<br />
Our Vision …<br />
To capture America’s history one person at a time, creating a priceless<br />
video collection and giving those involved their special place in history to<br />
educate the world about the struggles, determination and achievements<br />
of the African American experience.<br />
Our Mission …<br />
A national 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational institution<br />
committed to preserving on videotape and making widely accessible the<br />
untold personal stories of both well-known and unsung African Americans.<br />
Through the media and a series of user-friendly products, services and<br />
events, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> enlightens, entertains and educates the public,<br />
helping to refashion a more inclusive record of American history.<br />
A HistoryMaker …<br />
Is African American by descent who:<br />
1) has made significant accomplishments in his/her own life;<br />
and/or;<br />
2) is associated with a particular movement, organization or<br />
association and event or time that is important to the<br />
African American community.<br />
Stories of success against the odds, achievement in the face of<br />
adversity, and in all cases … stories of inspiration.<br />
k<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
1900 South Michigan Avenue • Chicago, Illinois 60616<br />
312-674-1900 • 312-674-1915 (fax)<br />
Atlanta/Southeast Region<br />
476 Auburn Avenue • Atlanta, Georgia 30312<br />
404-588-0085 • 404-588-0086 (fax)<br />
Washington D.C./Mid-Atlantic Region<br />
CTV-Community Television of Prince George’s Channels 76 & 70<br />
9475 Lottsford Road • Largo, MD 20774<br />
301-925-9155<br />
ab@thehistorymakers.com • nj@thehistorymakers.com<br />
Western/North Pacific Region<br />
African Diaspora Studies Program<br />
University of California, Berkeley<br />
660 Barrows Hall #2572 • Berkeley, CA 94720<br />
www.thehistorymakers.com • info@thehistorymakers.com<br />
Just the Facts .......................................................8<br />
Carson’s Display Window .....................................9<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Website .................................9<br />
<strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong> ..............................................10<br />
An Evening With Denyce Graves ........................12<br />
Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education<br />
Chicago ..........................................................14<br />
Atlanta ............................................................15<br />
Los Angeles ...................................................16<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Education Institue ...............17<br />
2006 <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> ............................................18<br />
2006 Contributions and Donations ....................18<br />
Sponsor A HistoryMaker .................................... 19<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Chicago Salon Featuring<br />
Geoffrey Holder ..............................................19<br />
Washington, D.C. <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
Documentazy Series ......................................20<br />
Julieanna Richardson appointed First<br />
Vernon D. Jarrett Fellow .................................20<br />
Julieanna Richardson Invited to Speak For<br />
JP Morgan Chase ..........................................20<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Mid-Atlantic/<br />
Washington, D.C. Region ..............................21<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Atlanta/Southeast<br />
Regional Office ...............................................21<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> and Carnegie Mellon<br />
Digital Library ................................................22<br />
In Memoriam ......................................................23<br />
Junius Gaten ......................................................24
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
On Wednesday, February 15, 2006, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> hosted a free public<br />
program entitled, Write On: <strong>The</strong> Art of the Written Word. A panel of four<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> including: publisher and poet Haki Madhubuti, author Samuel<br />
Greenlee, poet Angela Jackson and playwright Useni Eugene Perkins,<br />
were featured for Black History Month. <strong>The</strong> program started with event<br />
moderator, WGN-TV’s Merri Dee, welcoming everyone. She introduced<br />
writer and educator Sandra Jackson-Opoku, who gave a knowledgeable<br />
assessment on the history and current state of African American literature, the<br />
historical significance of the Black Arts Movement and Gwendolyn Brooks’<br />
contribution to African American literature in Chicago. Each panelist was<br />
introduced and recited an excerpt from one of his or her literary works after<br />
a video introduction featuring clips from each panelist’s <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> oral<br />
history interview. During the program, all four writers spoke about their work,<br />
personal experiences and writing techniques. A capacity crowd of diverse<br />
people: students, professionals, women, men and children were captivated<br />
by the panel discussion.<br />
This Illinois Humanities Council funded-public program was hosted at the<br />
Harris Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago. Sponsors included the Harris<br />
Bank, American Airlines, the Chicago Tribune, Aly’s Posey Patch, Black<br />
Sophisticate’s and Carson Pirie Scott.<br />
At the conclusion of the program, audience members met with the panelists<br />
and got their books signed. Later that evening, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> staff hosted<br />
a private dinner for the four panelists.<br />
Counterclockwise from top: Left to right: Michael Lewis, Julieanna Richardson, Haki Madhubuti,<br />
Angela Jackson, Sandra Jackson-Opoku, Merri Dee & Useni Eugene Perkins. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
Scheduling Coordinators Jessie Engel & Jocelyn Delk. Audience shot. Stage Manager Carol Woolfolk<br />
speaks with Useni Eugene Perkins. Event Moderator Merri Dee.<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 3
Volunteers<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> would like to thank all of our volunteers for their hard work<br />
and dedication. Our programs would not be a success without their help.<br />
Thanks to the following for their continued support:<br />
Doris Adams<br />
Femeia Adamson<br />
Pat Aiken<br />
Charita Allen<br />
Dawn Allen<br />
Lionel Alonzo<br />
Shirley Alonzo<br />
Pamela Anderson<br />
Sherion Armstead<br />
Beth Arthur<br />
Joanne Bagnerise<br />
Cynthia Barnett<br />
Lezli Baskerville<br />
Michelle Battle<br />
Dorothy Bell<br />
Tracey Booker<br />
Pat Brooks<br />
Barbarella Brown<br />
Jennifer Brown<br />
Rhonda Brown<br />
Rosenita Brown<br />
Sandra Brown<br />
Chandra Bryant<br />
Shelia Bryant<br />
Debby Buggs<br />
Amanda Bullard<br />
Todd Burroughs<br />
Jennie Burton<br />
Dereck Butler<br />
Johnathan Butler<br />
Bertha Cahn<br />
Ayoka Campbell<br />
Cheryl Carnavon<br />
Patrick Carroll<br />
Annette Cashaw<br />
Louise White Cashin<br />
Ruby Chapman<br />
Angelyn Chester<br />
Josie Childs<br />
Amy Clark<br />
Cassandra Clark<br />
Richard Clark<br />
Tessa Clark<br />
Tanisha Coffee<br />
Shirley Cornell<br />
Kathy Cornog<br />
Carrie Crews<br />
Sherry Davis<br />
Vicky Davis-Bachus<br />
LeNeyce DeBurst<br />
Horace Derricotte<br />
Brenda Dillard<br />
Alexis Dobbins<br />
Frederick Douglass<br />
Debbie DuCre<br />
Cynthia Duhart<br />
Mary Elliott<br />
Valada Elliot<br />
Amirah Ellis<br />
Audrey Epps<br />
Gina Evans<br />
Jannie Evans<br />
Richard Fairley<br />
V.J. Fairley<br />
Melanie Felt<br />
LaDale Felton<br />
Angie Fisher<br />
Joan Flintoft<br />
Donna Foreman<br />
Vanessa Foster<br />
H. Marrell Foushee<br />
Gary Francis<br />
Jovon Franklin<br />
Lelia Fredeiu<br />
Renee Garner<br />
Ruby Garrett<br />
Alberta Gaskins<br />
<strong>The</strong>resa Genus<br />
Tresa George<br />
Eleanor Gill<br />
Denise Gines<br />
LaToya Gipson<br />
Myrtle Gonnigan<br />
Garietta Graves<br />
Nikki Graves<br />
Katrice Grayson<br />
Kishia Grayson<br />
Darold Hamlin<br />
Steve Hanks<br />
Janet Harding<br />
Carla Harper<br />
Fontella Harris<br />
Johnathan Harris<br />
Gloria Henighan<br />
Kinshasa Hillery<br />
Toni Holloman<br />
Natalie Howard<br />
James Hoy<br />
Regina Hubbard<br />
Latari Hudson<br />
Pamela Hunnicutt<br />
Chontel Jackson<br />
Jerross Jackson<br />
Louise Jackson<br />
Marvin Jackson<br />
Melanie Jackson<br />
Elizabeth Jackson-Hodges<br />
Fred Jacobs<br />
Darlene Jenkins<br />
Tkeban Johannas<br />
Andre Johnson<br />
Midge Johnson<br />
Sandra Johnson<br />
Alika Joisha<br />
Brenda Jones<br />
Elizabeth Jones<br />
Julie Jones<br />
Racquel Jones<br />
Ava Jordan<br />
Gina Jordon<br />
Tamar Joseph<br />
Gretchen Kee<br />
Marlene Kelley<br />
Terry Kinnard<br />
Glenda Lassiter<br />
Deborah Lathen<br />
<strong>Katherine</strong> Lauderdale<br />
Jacquen Lee<br />
Crystal Lewis<br />
Pearl Alice Marsh<br />
Harriett Martin<br />
Ian McAllister<br />
Janice McAllister<br />
Denise McLeod Thomas<br />
Judy Meschal<br />
Brandon Miller<br />
Sakiliba Mines<br />
Sabrina Moore<br />
Allean Moore-Young<br />
Cynthia Morris<br />
Elise Morse<br />
Thomas Morse<br />
Monica Munoz<br />
Lenette Myers<br />
Bernice Oden<br />
Candace Oden<br />
Jo Ann Oni<br />
Yvonne Orr-Richardson<br />
Tiffany Payne<br />
<strong>The</strong>ma Peters<br />
Cheryl Petratos<br />
Sherry Ponder<br />
Sabrina Poole<br />
Lisa Porcher<br />
Lori Porcher<br />
Dorothy Pruitt<br />
Jennifer Pullen<br />
Yvonne Pulley<br />
Rolanda Rascoe<br />
Phyllis Ray<br />
Renee Redwood<br />
Annette Richardson<br />
Deborrah Richardson<br />
Jeff Richardson<br />
Minnette Rodwell<br />
Gwen Rutledge<br />
Ruby Sales<br />
Billye Schley<br />
Vanessa Segars<br />
Nana Seshibe<br />
Susan Sharpe<br />
Lisa Sheffield<br />
Teresa Sidewater<br />
Sheryl Skinner<br />
Barbara Smith<br />
Lewis Smith<br />
Robert Smith<br />
Ronald Troy Smith<br />
Shannon Smith<br />
Tamika Smith<br />
Dana Sneed<br />
Maggie Stanton<br />
Howard Strassner<br />
Bernard Strong<br />
Francine Taylor<br />
Ramon Taylor<br />
Rosalyn Taylor<br />
William Taylor<br />
Vickie Tellis<br />
Erin Thomas<br />
Keeya Thomas<br />
Robert Thomas<br />
Judy Thompkins<br />
Mary Tribune<br />
Darnella Vaughn<br />
Gwynne Walker<br />
Joe Warfield<br />
Tamara Washington<br />
Ashley Waters<br />
Grace Waters<br />
Blaine White<br />
Dorothy Williams<br />
E. Faye Williams<br />
Tamara Williams<br />
Patricia Willingham<br />
Stacey Willis<br />
Clarence Wells<br />
Shkan Woodruff<br />
Jim Yates<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
& ICE Movie <strong>The</strong>aters<br />
On Saturday, February 11th, 18th and 25th, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> was<br />
showcased at ICE Movie <strong>The</strong>aters’ (Inner City Entertainment) on Chicago’s<br />
Southside. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Executive Assistant Tawanna Streater and<br />
several of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ volunteers were on hand to distribute flyers,<br />
pamphlets, DVDs, program books and other materials. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
would like to thank Denise Sparkman of CinemAdvantage, the staff at<br />
ICE <strong>The</strong>aters and our volunteers for their help in our outreach effort.<br />
Volunteer Ruby Chapman and <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Executive Assistant Tawana Streater.<br />
PAGE 4 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
A Tribute to Brock Peters<br />
On Thursday, October 6, 2005, <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> held a memorial reception<br />
celebrating the life of legendary actor Brock<br />
Peters at the California African American<br />
Museum (CAAM) in Los Angeles. <strong>The</strong><br />
reception included a video montage featuring<br />
several of Brock Peters’ films, including Carmen<br />
Jones, Porgy and Bess, <strong>The</strong> Pawnbroker and<br />
To Kill A Mockingbird. Actor and close friend<br />
of Peters, Wren Brown, gave a moving and<br />
memorable tribute to Peters and shared his<br />
own personal experiences with the versatile<br />
actor. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Executive Director<br />
Julieanna Richardson thanked Brock Peters’<br />
family members and presented Marilyn Darby,<br />
Peters’ long time friend and companion, with<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> trophy in memory of the late<br />
actor. Other speakers and attendees included<br />
Paul Brock and Congresswoman Diane<br />
Watson. <strong>The</strong> event was sponsored by the MCI<br />
Foundation and the California African American<br />
Museum. Many thanks to CAAM executive<br />
director, Charmaine Jefferson, Christopher<br />
D’Jimenez y West and the entire CAAM staff.<br />
Brock Peters passed away on August 23, 2005.<br />
He was 78 years old.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Founder and<br />
Executive Director Julieanna<br />
Richardson presents Brock Peters’<br />
award to Peters’ close friend<br />
and companion, Marilyn Darby.<br />
Marilyn Darby, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’<br />
producer/interviewer Paul Brock<br />
and actor Wren Brown. Julieanna<br />
Richardson, Congresswoman Diane<br />
Watson and Paul Brock.<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 5
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
Celebrate Chuck Smith<br />
interview, Smith introduced scenes from his favorite directorial<br />
works: A Raisin in the Sun, Proof, <strong>The</strong> Meeting, and Ma Rainey’s<br />
Black Bottom. Members of Congo Square <strong>The</strong>atre Group, under<br />
the direction of Derrick Sanders, added a wonderful theatrical<br />
element to the live interview.<br />
Actor Harry J. Lennix made a special guest appearance. Lennix<br />
is one of many Chicago actors who were influenced by Smith.<br />
Carol Woolfolk stage-managed the program and Les Kiskern<br />
served as artistic director. This program was the brainchild of Les<br />
Coney, the first African American Chairman of the Board of <strong>The</strong><br />
Goodman <strong>The</strong>atre.<br />
On Monday, February 6, 2006, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> collaborated<br />
with <strong>The</strong> Goodman <strong>The</strong>atre for a Black History Month<br />
program entitled, Celebrate Chuck Smith, a tribute toHistoryMaker<br />
Chuck Smith. 400 were in attendance. Everyone gained insight<br />
on Chuck Smith’s background, career and his role in the history of<br />
Chicago’s black theatre as the resident director of <strong>The</strong> Goodman<br />
<strong>The</strong>atre.<br />
Robin Robinson of Fox News Chicago interviewed<br />
Smith for the hour-long program. Throughout the<br />
Above:<br />
Chuck Smith<br />
and Robin Robinson.<br />
Right:<br />
Harry J. Lennix.<br />
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday<br />
& <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Open House Event<br />
On Monday, January 16, 2006, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>, in<br />
collaboration with N’Digo and <strong>The</strong> Chicago Defender,<br />
hosted its second annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
Day Celebration and Open House at Second Presbyterian<br />
Church. <strong>The</strong> program began with a panel discussion entitled<br />
“<strong>The</strong> State of the Nation Since the Death of Dr. Martin Luther<br />
King, Jr.: Is the Civil Rights Era Dead” This discussion was<br />
moderated by WVON Radio Host Cliff Kelley<br />
and featured<br />
respected 93-year-old Judge<br />
George Leighton, activist Timuel<br />
Black, publicist Hermene Hartman<br />
and attorney James Montgomery,<br />
all of whom are <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>. <strong>The</strong><br />
panelists shared their views on the state of the nation since<br />
Dr. King’s death, the condition of Black America and social<br />
change in today’s society. Over 400 were in attendance. <strong>The</strong><br />
provocative discussion also examined each panelist’s rich<br />
history and their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.<br />
Attendees lined up to ask questions of the panelists.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Whitney Young High School Gospel Choir performned.<br />
Following the symposium, over 100 people attended tours<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ archives and participated in oral<br />
history training sessions. <strong>The</strong> event served as a catalyst for<br />
audience members to reevaluate their personal involvement<br />
in preserving African American history and to see the work of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> first hand.<br />
From L to R: Judge George<br />
Leighton, Hermene Hartman,<br />
Julieanna Richardson, Timuel<br />
Black, Cliff Kelley, and some<br />
children eating lunch.<br />
PAGE 6 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Training Summit<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> conducted its<br />
second Training Summit: convening<br />
a meeting with full time staff, and<br />
part time staff and staff trainees from<br />
Atlanta, Washington, D.C., New York,<br />
Boston and San Francisco. Evaluation,<br />
training and development took place at the<br />
Chicago headquarters from Wednesday,<br />
September 7 through Sunday, September 11,<br />
2005.<br />
Included were the following interviewers:<br />
Larry Crowe, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> senior<br />
interviewer with over 700 interviews to his<br />
credit; Robert C. Hayden of Massachusetts,<br />
who is the author of sixteen books and a<br />
primary biographer of African Americans<br />
in science; Paul Brock of Upper Marlboro,<br />
Maryland, veteran black journalist and television producer; San<br />
Francisco’s Loretta Henry of the African American Genealogical<br />
Society of Northern California; retired Army officer, educator<br />
and genealogist, Edward Anderson from Decatur, Georgia;<br />
New York author, Shawn Wilson and Atlanta’s Evelyn Pounds,<br />
educator and past president of the African American Genealogical<br />
Society of New England. Chicago veteran videographers, Scott<br />
Stearns and Matthew Hickey, and New York-based videographer<br />
Neculai Burghelea, provided orientation for trainees,<br />
Adrian Jackson, Foster Stenson and Viola Henry.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> producers, schedulers, editors, <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Digital Video Library Project fellows and<br />
administrative staff were also in attendance. Wednesday<br />
night, Julieanna Richardson, founder and executive<br />
director of <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> welcomed participants<br />
at dinner at the Chicago O’Hare Hilton. That evening,<br />
noted Chicago historian and consummate storyteller Dr.<br />
Charles Branham shared details of recent research in<br />
the field of African American history.<br />
On Thursday, there were tours of <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
facility and participants shared their evaluations of past<br />
interviews, focusing on historical content and the use of<br />
timelines to assist the interview process.<br />
Dr. Walter Hill speaking at the<br />
Training Summit.<br />
follow up questions and well-researched<br />
interviews was emphasized. Saturday’s<br />
keynote speaker was Dr. Walter Hill,<br />
senior archivist and subject area specialist<br />
for Afro-American History and the federal<br />
records of the National Archives. Hill, a<br />
HistoryMaker<br />
National Advisory Board<br />
member, conducted <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
interview of Dr. John Hope Franklin in<br />
2003. He stressed the singular significance<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ archive and put the<br />
project in historical perspective:<br />
We need to broaden our historical<br />
consciousness in thinking about history,<br />
our history. History is a little box in<br />
some people’s heads, but they really don’t<br />
understand the dynamics and power of<br />
history. ...When you learn history, your own history, you can’t help<br />
but develop a stronger sense of identity – of who and what you<br />
are.<br />
I would argue that what you are doing here at <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>,<br />
Inc. is one of the most important methods of capturing human<br />
life, values, institutional thinking, beliefs and creations. You<br />
are capturing the human voice and you must understand that<br />
cont, on page 18<br />
Friday began with a review of the ENG camera<br />
packages and a checklist of pre-interview, interview<br />
and post interview procedures. Cheri Pugh and fellows of the<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Digital Video Library Project offered their<br />
review of some sample interviews and the best practices of specific<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> interviewers. <strong>The</strong> importance of appropriate<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Training Summit. Front row, left to right: Jessie Engel,<br />
Jennifer Pullen, Loretta Henry, Amy Billingsley (behind Henry), Paul Brock,<br />
Frederick Adams and Adrian Jackson. Second row up, left to right: Matthew<br />
Hickey, Neculai Burghelea, Julieanna Richardson, Ivy Jackson, Harvey Baker,<br />
III and Robert C. Hayden. Third row up, left to right: Edward Anderson, Shawn<br />
Wilson, Evelyn Pounds, Cheri Pugh and Ngina Jackson (in black). Top row,<br />
left to right: Foster Stenson, Viola Henry, Scott Stearns, Janelle Jennings,<br />
Walter Hill and Larry Crowe.<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 7
Saturday, April 29, 2006<br />
An Evening With Colin Powell<br />
Interviewed by Juan Williams<br />
Washington, D.C.<br />
Saturday April 29, 2006<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Talking Truth Series in D.C.<br />
<strong>The</strong> documentary airs on WRC-TV, NBC 4<br />
Washington D.C.<br />
1:30PM eastern standard time<br />
Saturday June 3, 2006<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Los Angeles Salon<br />
Hosted by Bernard Kinsey<br />
Guest Speaker: TBA<br />
upcoming events<br />
Thursday June 8, 2006<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Washington, D.C. Salon<br />
Featuring Julian Bond<br />
Hosted by Frank Ross, Howard Ross,<br />
and Leslie Traub<br />
Washington, D.C.<br />
Saturday, June 17, 2006<br />
An Evening With Andrew Young:<br />
Interviewed by Charlayne Hunter-Gault<br />
Atlanta, Georgia<br />
Saturday October 28, 2006<br />
An Evening With Earl Graves<br />
Interviewed by Julian Bond<br />
Chicago, Illinois<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> who knew Paul Robeson<br />
Charles Blockson<br />
Dr. Margaret Burroughs<br />
Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee<br />
Junius “Red” Gaten<br />
Susan Woodson<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> who danced<br />
with <strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
Ruth Beckford<br />
Geoffrey Holder<br />
Cleo Parker Robinson<br />
Dr. Glory Van Scott<br />
Rev. Willie Taplan Barrow<br />
Rev. James Bevel<br />
Julian Bond<br />
Rev. Arthur Brazier<br />
Rev. E.T. Caviness<br />
Rev. Clay Evans<br />
Rev. Walter Fauntroy<br />
just the facts<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> who worked on<br />
the Manhattan Project:<br />
Dr. Ralph Gardner-Chavis<br />
Dr. Samuel Massie<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
Rev. Leon Finney<br />
Rev. Floyd Flake<br />
James Forman<br />
Dr. Robert Green<br />
Rev. Shelvin Hall<br />
Rev. Curtis Harris<br />
Rev. Benjamin Hooks<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> who met Dr. W.E.B. DuBois<br />
Julian Bond<br />
Paul Brock<br />
Mercer Cook<br />
Dr. David Levering Lewis<br />
Dr. Richard McKinney<br />
Dr. Harold Pates<br />
Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.<br />
Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles<br />
Rev. Joseph Lowery<br />
Rev. Calvin Morris<br />
Rev. Otis Moss<br />
Rev. John Porter<br />
Rev. Al Sampson<br />
Rev. Gardner Taylor<br />
Alderman Dorothy Tillman<br />
Rev. C.T. Vivian<br />
Rev. Marcus Garvey Wood<br />
Ambassador Andrew Young<br />
PAGE 8 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
Carson’s display window<br />
he <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
collaborat-<br />
Ted T<br />
with Carson Pirie Scott<br />
for its annual display window at<br />
the store’s downtown location.<br />
Throughout the month of February,<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> showcased<br />
and previewed An Evening<br />
With Denyce Graves and<br />
made the public aware of the<br />
organization’s activities. Poster<br />
boards, DVD covers, program<br />
books, event invitations, and<br />
several other materials were on display. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> would like to thank Carson Pirie<br />
Scott for their continued support and company employees Bruce Booker, Genasis Floeter<br />
and Deborah Jones for their hard work in putting the display together.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ website has been very successful since its<br />
creation. In February 2006, the website received over 5.9 million<br />
hits. As a result of the website’s popularity and the content of<br />
both it and <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ archives,<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> was able to negotiate<br />
a deal with AOL Black Voices. In<br />
exchange for content from our website<br />
and archives, we are now able to stream<br />
video clips on <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> website<br />
again. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> also made a<br />
deal with a major telecommunications<br />
company, Sprint. Sprint customers<br />
signed up to receive black history fact<br />
text messages from <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’<br />
website throughout Black History Month.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> also licensed some<br />
of the website’s content to universities<br />
and companies including Harvard<br />
University (used clips from Marva<br />
Collins’ interview to help teach a class),<br />
British publishing company Brown<br />
Reference Group, the Mound City Bar<br />
Association, <strong>The</strong> Washington Informer<br />
and Harpo Productions (used audio<br />
from our archives for their Legends TV<br />
show).<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ website<br />
“As an educator and a Chicago native, I am just too proud of<br />
this website! Kudos to all that are involved!” – Royond Hendrix,<br />
Desoto, Texas<br />
“A worthy idea, and nicely done website.<br />
Best wishes with continued progress toward<br />
your mission.” – Ted Wachholz, Arlington<br />
Heights, Illinois<br />
“<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> is a phenomenal<br />
project. Please continue the wonderful<br />
work you are<br />
doing! If possible,<br />
please let me<br />
know how I can<br />
be a supporter.”<br />
– Tresa Dunbar<br />
Garrett, Chicago,<br />
Illinois<br />
“Thank you for<br />
your contributions to our community that<br />
helps us recognize those that have been<br />
instrumental in all areas of society.” –<br />
Antonio Jones, Aurora, Colorado<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 9
<strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
Matriarch of Black Dance<br />
By Tyler Barnett<br />
<strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong>, one of the most influential dancers and<br />
choreographers of the twentieth century, sat for her interview<br />
with <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> on December 17, 2000 at her apartment in<br />
New York City. <strong>Dunham</strong> is best known for founding the <strong>Katherine</strong><br />
<strong>Dunham</strong> Dance Company. Her incalculable influence on dance<br />
has earned her the moniker the “Matriarch of Black Dance”. A<br />
summary of her interview with Julieanna Richardson follows.<br />
<strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong> was born on June 22, 1909 in Glen Ellyn,<br />
Illinois, which was a very small suburb of Chicago at the time.<br />
Tragedy struck <strong>Dunham</strong>’s family in her early childhood when<br />
her mother, Fanny June <strong>Dunham</strong>, died when <strong>Katherine</strong> was only<br />
three-and-a-half years old. <strong>Dunham</strong>’s father, Albert <strong>Dunham</strong>, Sr.,<br />
moved his family into the city so they could be closer to relatives<br />
while he traveled as a clothing salesman. In her interview, <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
also describes her brother, Albert <strong>Dunham</strong> Jr.’s death, which<br />
occurred when she was about twenty-five years old. His death was<br />
particularly hard on <strong>Katherine</strong>, because “[he] was terribly important<br />
to me in those early school years in Chicago, and I depended on him<br />
in a different way and more, I think, than I would have depended<br />
on a mother and a father.” She goes on to describe how her brother,<br />
who earned a doctorate degree in philosophy from the University<br />
of Chicago, influenced her intellectual development: “He helped<br />
me define dance as I was using it then, which was to bring people<br />
more together, different people, different kinds. And he helped me<br />
realize that anthropology was the only academic study that I would<br />
be interested in at all.”<br />
<strong>Dunham</strong>’s interest in anthropology blossomed while earning her<br />
bachelor’s degree at the University of Chicago, where she studied<br />
under noted scholars like Robert Redfield, Melville Herskovits,<br />
and Erich Fromm. She excelled in her studies, and earned a Julius<br />
Rosenwald Fellowship. Using funds from the fellowship, <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
traveled to the Caribbean, visiting Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad<br />
to study rituals and dance. <strong>The</strong> journey was a life-changing<br />
experience for <strong>Dunham</strong> forming the basis of her dance philosophy:<br />
“At the time the fascinating thing was how they danced, why they<br />
danced, the form of it, and I was beginning to be vitally interested<br />
in form and function. Now those are the things that seemed to<br />
have preoccupied me when I lived among the people and joined<br />
PAGE 10 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
them in their rituals and ceremonies and so forth. Later in life<br />
I have drawn from all of these places and people and things the<br />
things that I needed for the moment…”<br />
Upon her return to the United States in 1936, <strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
began to incorporate elements of African and Caribbean tribal<br />
dance into the techniques she taught at her Chicago dance company,<br />
the Negro Dance Group. <strong>Dunham</strong> wanted to expand her company<br />
into a commercial enterprise, and decided to move to New York<br />
City: “New York offered more in terms of theatrical experiences<br />
function. And if those two things are brought together, you get a<br />
person doing <strong>Dunham</strong> Technique and making a movement.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong> Company became world-renown, touring Europe<br />
many times in the 1940s and 1950s. <strong>Dunham</strong> also drew the<br />
attention of renowned art historian Bernard Berenson, who<br />
became something of a mentor: “[Berenson’s] wealth was simply<br />
his brains, and he would put out there before me ... the sentence<br />
here or wisdom there … that was his contribution to me, and I<br />
welcomed it. I knew it. I didn’t want anything from him but that.”<br />
From left to right: <strong>Dunham</strong> with her company in a production of “Lady with a Cigar”; <strong>Dunham</strong> at age seventeen; <strong>Dunham</strong> performs “Guitar Blues” with<br />
partner, Vanoye Aikens; <strong>Dunham</strong> attends a Hollywood opening with her husband, theatrical designer, John Pratt. Photos property of <strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
and also in terms of training…we<br />
really began to think of ourselves…as a<br />
commercial possibility, and I think that<br />
New York helped me to realize that there<br />
was no way to learn all of our potential in<br />
Chicago.” Thus, the <strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
Dance Company was founded in 1939.<br />
It was with this company that <strong>Katherine</strong><br />
<strong>Dunham</strong> conceived and solidified the<br />
<strong>Dunham</strong> Technique: “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
Technique has several aspects. One<br />
is social. It’s a thing which aids in the<br />
melding together of people. It is a social act. It can be looked<br />
upon as an isolated act, but that is not its real intent and purpose,<br />
which is an erasing of conflicting boundaries among people…As<br />
a <strong>Dunham</strong> Technician, you’re learning about space, about time,<br />
about the relationship. I think the most important thing is form and<br />
“No matter how<br />
hard we try,<br />
we can never<br />
break our ties<br />
to Africa ...”<br />
- <strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
<strong>Dunham</strong> also starred in several major<br />
motion pictures, including Cabin in the<br />
Sky.<br />
<strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong> does not dwell on<br />
her professional success in the interview.<br />
However, instead, she focuses on her<br />
personal life and her philosophy of<br />
dance. Regarding her relationship with<br />
her second husband, John Pratt, <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
says: “We worked on the same artistic<br />
level. He understood the things that I<br />
did, and I understood the things that he<br />
did. We were in love not only on this great important artistic level,<br />
but also on a humanistic level. He felt about people the way I<br />
did. He loved what people do, and he wanted to do something<br />
about the destruction of the human spirit, which I did and so forth<br />
and so on. So we had everything going for us, but everything, and<br />
cont on page 13.<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 11
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
On Saturday, October 22, 2005,<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> celebrated<br />
its sixth anniversary in Chicago with<br />
An Evening With Denyce Graves.<br />
With 600 attendees at Northwestern<br />
University Law School’s<br />
Thorne Auditorium, award-winning<br />
actress Angela Bassett interviewed<br />
operatic singing sensation Denyce<br />
Graves. Jazz pianist Ramsey<br />
Lewis served as the event’s master<br />
of ceremonies and Discover Financial Services served as title<br />
sponsor for the event. Other sponsors included McDonald’s,<br />
Walgreen’s, CitiGroup, American Airlines, Intercontinental<br />
Chicago, <strong>The</strong> Chicago Tribune, Hilton Hotels, Northwestern<br />
University School of LawAon, Ariel Capital Management,<br />
Boeing, Comcast, Exelon/ComEd, Abbott Laboratories,<br />
Kathy Roberts and Morgan<br />
Stanley’s Joan Steinberg. She also<br />
encouraged others in the audience to<br />
support <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>. Other<br />
speakers included National Black<br />
McDonald’s Owners Association’s<br />
Blanton Canady, Pamela Gilbert<br />
of the Intercontinental Hotel and<br />
honorary co-chair Bernard Kinsey<br />
who stressed the importance<br />
of history. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
Executive Director and Founder Julieanna Richardson spoke of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ programs and the importance of legacy.<br />
Denyce Graves took the stage after a wonderful introduction<br />
by Angela Bassett. For the next hour, Graves spoke about her<br />
childhood, her interests in the arts, and how and why she decided to<br />
change the spelling of her first name (from Denise to Denyce). She<br />
From left to right: Bernard Kinsey and Denyce Graves. Graves, her daughter and Bassett. Denyce Graves and Antoinette Cook Bush. Denyce Graves and Angela Bassett.<br />
Capri Capital, Cub Foods, Sara Lee Foundation, State Farm<br />
Insurance, Sophisticate’s Black Hair, and Toyota.<br />
Guests and attendees mingled and ate hors d’oeuvres in the lobby<br />
of the Thorne Auditorium before the taping began. Once the<br />
show started, Ramsey Lewis gave a welcome address. Attendees<br />
included: Carol Moseley Braun, Stella Foster and honorary<br />
co-chairs William Mason, Bernard Kinsey and David Van<br />
Zandt. Northwestern University Law School’s Dean David<br />
Van Zandt thanked all the event sponsors. Vice President and<br />
Legal Counsel for Morgan Stanley, Sheila Wilson-Freelon,<br />
was introduced and acknowledged Discover Financial Services’<br />
spoke about her technique of singing, the importance of protecting<br />
one’s voice and the significant roles her mother and daughter<br />
play in her life. <strong>The</strong> audience was riveted by Denyce Graves and<br />
Angela Bassett’s conversation. After the taping, a private dinner<br />
was held for Denyce Graves, her family and Angela Bassett at the<br />
Intercontinental Hotel located in downtown Chicago.<br />
An Evening With Denyce Graves debuted on WTTW-11 in Chicago<br />
on February 26, 2006. <strong>The</strong> program debuted on WNET Channel<br />
13 in New York on April 9, 2006 at 12 p.m. EST and is slated to<br />
air nationally on PBS.<br />
N O RT H W E S T E R N U N I V E R S I T Y<br />
S C H O O L O F L AW<br />
C H I C A G O<br />
PAGE 12 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
<strong>Katherine</strong> <strong>Dunham</strong> - cont from page 11.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> would like to thank the following<br />
for their support.<br />
AARP & <strong>The</strong> Walker Marchant<br />
Group<br />
Abbott Laboratories<br />
Aetna<br />
AFLAC<br />
AGL Resources<br />
Alliant Energy Corporation<br />
Allied Domecq<br />
Aly’s Posey Patch<br />
American Airlines<br />
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.<br />
Antoinette Cook Bush &<br />
Dwight Bush, Sr.<br />
Aon<br />
Ariel Capital Management<br />
<strong>The</strong> Atlanta Daily World<br />
<strong>The</strong> Atlanta Journal-<br />
Constitution<br />
<strong>The</strong> Atlanta Tribune<br />
Bank of America<br />
BellSouth<br />
Bloomingdale’s<br />
Boeing<br />
<strong>The</strong> California African American<br />
Museum<br />
Capri Capital<br />
Carson Pirie Scott<br />
Cathy Hughes<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chicago Defender<br />
Chicago Tribune<br />
CitiGroup<br />
Coca-Cola<br />
Comcast<br />
Cub Foods<br />
Darden Restaurants<br />
Delta Airlines<br />
Design Lab Chicago<br />
Discover Financial Services<br />
Dominick’s<br />
Exelon/ComEd<br />
Georgia Pacific Corporation<br />
Georgia Power<br />
Georgia Public Broadcasting<br />
<strong>The</strong> Goodman <strong>The</strong>atre<br />
Harris Bank<br />
Hilton Hotels<br />
Illinois Humanities Council<br />
Intercontinental Buckhead,<br />
Atlanta<br />
Intercontinental Chicago<br />
Jewel-Osco<br />
Kellogg’s<br />
Lavish Salon & Spa<br />
Lynne & Joseph Horning<br />
Marriott International, Inc.<br />
Marshall Field’s<br />
Mary Wood’s Florist<br />
McDonald’s<br />
<strong>The</strong> MCI Foundation<br />
Metropolitan Limousine<br />
Morgan Stanley<br />
N’Digo<br />
News Corporation<br />
Nextel<br />
Nordstrom<br />
Northwestern University School<br />
of Law<br />
NoseGay Flowershop<br />
Peter & Judy Kovler<br />
Radio One<br />
RLJ Development, LLC<br />
Sara Lee Foundation<br />
Sheran & Herb Wilkins<br />
Shopper’s Food & Pharmacy<br />
Simmons-Lathan Media Group<br />
Sophisticate’s Black Hair<br />
State Farm Insurance<br />
Synovus Corporation<br />
Thompson Hospitality<br />
Toyota<br />
Turner Broadcasting<br />
UCLA<br />
United Pharmacy<br />
UPS<br />
USC<br />
V&J Security Transportation<br />
Walgreen’s<br />
<strong>The</strong> Washington Post<br />
Willard Intercontinental,<br />
Washington, D.C.<br />
WSB-TV<br />
aesthetically we matched.” <strong>Dunham</strong> also states that dance has the<br />
power to connect all people: “<strong>The</strong> important thing [in dance] is<br />
that you recognize, that you realize this human element in people,<br />
that you realize that the sense of movement and beauty and love<br />
and life are all accomplished in this one activity, if you want to.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y’re all a part of the behavioral science of dance.”<br />
When reflecting on her influential career, <strong>Dunham</strong>, now 96 years<br />
old, says, “I can see that I am the product of the good thinking,<br />
the forward direct thinking, the right thinking of a half dozen<br />
brilliant thinkers of our century,” referencing her mentors Erich<br />
Fromm, Robert Redfield, Melville Herskovits and Bernard<br />
Berenson. <strong>Dunham</strong> also pondered the value of art in the human<br />
experience: “Art is such a founding part of our being as human<br />
beings that it can no longer be just simply considered and tossed<br />
away…I think that art is us. Art is our being…Art is us.” Fitting<br />
words from an artist who has enabled so many people to discover<br />
new dimensions of humanity. ~<br />
Left: <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
dancing with her<br />
partner in “Barrelhouse”<br />
in Paris.<br />
Top: <strong>Dunham</strong><br />
(center) works<br />
with Senegalese<br />
Master Per-<br />
cussionist-in-<br />
Residence, Mor<br />
Thiam (left) and<br />
wife, Kine, at the<br />
<strong>Dunham</strong> Museum<br />
in East St. Louis,<br />
Illinois<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 13
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education<br />
Los Angeles<br />
Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education in Los<br />
Angeles was held on Thursday, October 6, 2005 at the<br />
California African American Museum. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
Executive director, Julieanna Richardson welcomed all participants<br />
to the first Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education in Los<br />
Angeles.<br />
MCI Foundation representatives Earl Taylor, Elisa Liang, and Dawn Brzezicki.<br />
Over 400 students and teachers from Los Angeles Public Schools<br />
participated in over a dozen panels featuring artists, journalists,<br />
actors and musicians. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> that participated in the<br />
panels included actors Louis Gossett, Jr.,<br />
Lorraine Toussaint, T’Keyah “Crystal”<br />
Keymah, Janet Adderley and Aki Aleong;<br />
artists Artis Lane, Samella Lewis and Marie<br />
Johnson Calloway; cartoonist Morrie Turner;<br />
dancer and choreographer Ruth Beckford;<br />
MediaMakers Joe Dyer, Lee Bailey and Ron<br />
Brewington; and many others. Students were<br />
given advice on possible careers as well as<br />
advice to help them become productive and<br />
successful adults.<br />
T’Keyah Keymah, Aki Aleong, Lorraine Toussaint, and Moderator<br />
Janelle Jennings.<br />
At lunch, participating students and teachers enjoyed two celebrity<br />
guest speakers. Actress and minister Della Reese spoke about the<br />
importance of having a spiritual connection and relationship with<br />
a higher power and the enrichment that relationship will bring to<br />
young people’s lives. Basketball legend and entrepreneur Earvin<br />
“Magic” Johnson spoke about his life and the lessons he learned<br />
while growing up. He encouraged students to stay in school, get<br />
an education and follow their dreams.<br />
Thanks to the hard work of the California African American<br />
Museum staff, especially Christopher D’Jimenez<br />
y West, the adept catering of Yvonne White, the<br />
participating schools, and <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
volunteers and staff. <strong>The</strong> program was a great<br />
success.<br />
Earvin “Magic “Johnson speaking.<br />
PAGE 14 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education<br />
Above: Xernona Clayton, Moderator Cicely Bland and Alexis Scott.<br />
Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education in Atlanta<br />
was held on Thursday, February 9, 2006 at Morehouse<br />
College’s new facility, <strong>The</strong> Leadership Center. Julieanna<br />
Richardson, Executive Director of <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> and Dr.<br />
Walter Massey, President of Morehouse College welcomed<br />
all participants to the first Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of<br />
Education in Atlanta.<br />
Over 300 students and teachers from Atlanta Public Schools<br />
participated in 14 different panels, which featured Atlanta<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: 105-year-old Ann<br />
Cooper, MediaMaker Xernona<br />
Clayton, corporate executive<br />
Richard Holmes, museum founder<br />
Dan Moore, Sr., civic leader Valerie<br />
Richardson Jackson, business leader<br />
Thomas Dortch, educator Ed Irons,<br />
and physician Dr. Clinton Warner.<br />
Students enjoyed the film screening<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Documentary<br />
Series co-produced with the Simmons-<br />
Lathan Media Group. After the first<br />
two sessions, attendees gathered for a<br />
lunch break before heading to their third and final session.<br />
“This was wonderful… [I learned] about the extraordinary lives of<br />
the women and their struggles in life…[I would like to] have them<br />
come visit our school and students!” – Teacher, Atlanta Public<br />
Schools<br />
Atlanta<br />
Students participating in a session.<br />
“Thank you all for [affording me] this opportunity…you can leave<br />
here today knowing that you [have] helped someone realize and<br />
structure their goals.” – Student, Atlanta Public Schools<br />
Participating schools:<br />
Long Middle School<br />
Sylvan Hills Middle School<br />
Fulton County Library<br />
MLK High School<br />
Parks Middle School<br />
Price Middle School.<br />
Later that evening, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>, in<br />
conjunction with SunTrust Bank, hosted a<br />
reception entitled An Evening of Celebration<br />
Honoring Dr. Walter E. Massey and Dr. Louis<br />
W. Sullivan. <strong>The</strong> reception was held at the new<br />
Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest aquarium. <strong>The</strong> program<br />
began with a brief clip from Summer Hill, directed by Emmy<br />
award-winning filmmaker David Hughes Duke. <strong>The</strong> film tells the<br />
inspirational story of a remarkable African American community<br />
in Cartersville, Georgia. <strong>The</strong> honorees were interviewed by<br />
Valerie Richardson Jackson. This program was the brainchild of<br />
Ira Moreland, Managing Director of Corporate and Investment<br />
Banking for SunTrust and Charlie<br />
Shufeldt, Executive Vice President<br />
of Corporate and Investment<br />
Banking of SunTrust.<br />
Many thanks go to Druenetta<br />
Smith, Kevin Wong and Jocelyn<br />
Delk, Carol Woolfolk, Audrey<br />
Epps, and Patricia Telila for their<br />
work in arranging the event.<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 15
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education<br />
Meet <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day of Education in Chicago<br />
was held on Thursday, February 23, 2006 at the Merit<br />
School of Music’s brand new state-of-the-art facility. <strong>The</strong> theme<br />
of the day was classical music. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Executive<br />
Director Julieanna Richardson, gave opening remarks welcoming<br />
students, teachers, <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> and guests. Guest speakers<br />
Chicago<br />
During the lunch session,<br />
participants gathered in<br />
two separate rooms to<br />
hear performances by<br />
<strong>The</strong> Sugarstrings, a<br />
young African American<br />
classical music group,<br />
and Rodney Stapleton,<br />
a classically trained<br />
baritone from Ravinia.<br />
W.H. Brown Math & Science Academy<br />
teacher Sharon Ponder.<br />
Other guests were Lyric Opera performers Jessica Usherwood<br />
and Khary Laurent.<br />
included Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan; Merit<br />
School of Music Executive Director Duffie Adelson, Manager of<br />
Social Studies Phyllis Henry; and a special inspirational spoken<br />
word performance by W.H. Brown Math and Science Academy 8 th<br />
grade teacher Sharon Ponder.<br />
Over 350 Chicago Public School students and teachers participated.<br />
Panel topics included business, dance, law, public service, music<br />
and the media. Students and teachers alike learned of the many<br />
roads to success.<br />
Top: <strong>The</strong> Sugarstrings. Above: Mildred Cruzat shares dancing exercises<br />
with students. Right: Duffie Adelson and Chicago Public Schools CEO, Arne<br />
Duncan.<br />
Throughout the day, WVON Radio broadcasted live with host<br />
Cliff Kelley. A host of <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>, Chicago journalists,<br />
performers, students and teachers were interviewed.<br />
“This session helped me understand what I want to do in life…I<br />
can never give up and [must] always keep my eyes on my goals…<br />
and [I can’t let] anyone bring [me] down.” – Antoinette Ivy, 8 th<br />
grade Student, DuSable Leadership Academy<br />
“I really enjoyed seeing African Americans who helped me see who<br />
I can be and who I want to become. This was very inspirational”<br />
– Alison Edwards, Student, Lincoln Park High School<br />
Participating schools:<br />
Lincoln Park High School<br />
DuSable Leadership Academy<br />
Gage Park High School<br />
Christian Fenger Academy<br />
Robeson High School<br />
W.H. Brown Math and Science Academy.<br />
PAGE 16 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Education Institute<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Education Institute is a year<br />
long, educational program that takes place in select<br />
Chicago Public High Schools. <strong>The</strong> program combines<br />
an effective mentoring program using an existing base of<br />
over 1200 <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> combined with the resources of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> unique African American video oral<br />
history archive. In essence, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> is bringing<br />
American history to life for students!<br />
This past year Larry Crowe and Chicago <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
visited area schools. Crowe introduced students to the<br />
techniques of oral history and the necessity of continually<br />
documenting positive movements in contemporary history.<br />
On a visit to W.H. Brown Math and Science Academy,<br />
Crowe asked 8th grade students if they had heard of Harry Belafonte.<br />
Lincoln Park High School teacher, Juanita Thurman and Julieanna<br />
Richardson hold up a special <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> inspired quilt created by<br />
Thurman’s students.<br />
Most perked up at the familiar name but few could describe<br />
who this man was and why they knew the name. <strong>The</strong>n one<br />
student sang out, “Dayyyo ... dayyyyyooo”. Though “<strong>The</strong><br />
Banana Boat” song is probably what Mr. Belafonte is most<br />
famous for, Crowe explained that Belafonte was an early<br />
supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and<br />
one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s confidants. <strong>The</strong> song<br />
made him famous; his life-story makes him a legend.<br />
After Crowe’s visits,<br />
Chicago <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
also visited area schools to<br />
share their inspiring stories<br />
one-on-one with students.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Education Institute Teachers Alicia Donald, Juanita Thurman<br />
and Erik Young of Lincoln Park High School with Sharon Ponder of William H. Brown<br />
Elementary School<br />
Students also learned<br />
research and skills to help<br />
them conduct their own<br />
interviews.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ producer/<br />
interviewer Larry Crowe<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 17
2006 <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
Bishop John Hurst Adams<br />
General Clara Adams-Ender<br />
Lynn Allen<br />
W. George Allen<br />
Peg Alston<br />
Amalia Amaki<br />
Dina Ruth Andrews<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Marvin<br />
Arrington<br />
Dr. Catrise L. Austin<br />
Rena Bancroft<br />
Juanita Baranco<br />
Lee Bey<br />
Veronica Biggins<br />
Mary Elizabeth “Betty”<br />
Brown<br />
Roscoe Lee Browne<br />
Wayne Budd<br />
Hugh C. Burroughs<br />
Rusty Burns<br />
Alice Bussey<br />
Bernie Casey<br />
James Cone<br />
Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson<br />
Cook<br />
Rev. John H. Cross<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable David<br />
Cunningham<br />
Willis Bing Davis<br />
Ophelia DeVore<br />
Mohandas “Kool Moe Dee”<br />
DeWese<br />
June Dobbs-Butts<br />
Albert Dotson, Jr.<br />
Maxine Duster<br />
Troy Duster<br />
Felton James Earls<br />
Angeles Echols<br />
Simon Estes<br />
Dorothy Jenkins Fields<br />
Jim Gibbs<br />
<strong>The</strong>lma Gibson<br />
James H. Gilliam, Sr.<br />
Sharon Gist Gilliam<br />
Denyce Graves<br />
Sheryl Riley Gripper<br />
James Guilford<br />
Jay Harris<br />
Narvie J. Harris<br />
Charles Henry<br />
Robert Hooks<br />
Stephanie Smith Hughley<br />
Andrew Ingraham<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Edith Ingram<br />
Angela Jackson<br />
Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.<br />
Yvonne Ruth Jackson<br />
Dr. Mildred Jefferson<br />
Alyce Jenkins<br />
Charles Floyd Johnson<br />
John Johnson<br />
Malvyn Johnson<br />
Marjorie Witt Johnson<br />
Robert Johnson<br />
Willard R. Johnson<br />
Gregory Jones<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Nathaniel<br />
Jones<br />
Monica Kaufman<br />
Dennis Kimbro<br />
Reed Kimbrough<br />
Dr. DeLutha King, Jr.<br />
Melvin King<br />
Harry J. Lennix<br />
Willard “Chuck” Lewis<br />
Carl Long<br />
James Hiram Malone<br />
Manning Marable<br />
Diane McCoy-Lee<br />
Helen McCray<br />
Willie McCray<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Harold Melton<br />
Littleton Mitchell<br />
Bebe Moore-Campbell<br />
John Moore<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Marc Morial<br />
Effie Lee Morris<br />
Eugene Morris<br />
Rev. Cecil L. Murray<br />
Stanley Nelson<br />
Lynn Nottage<br />
Odetta<br />
Elisabeth Omilami<br />
Harold Pates<br />
Les Payne<br />
Scherrie Payne<br />
Brenda Payton<br />
Aurie Pennick<br />
Margaret Peters<br />
Anita Ponder<br />
Alma Powell<br />
Michael Powell<br />
Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith<br />
Dr. Roderick Wellington Pugh<br />
Vernellia R. Randall<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Kenneth<br />
Reeves<br />
Constance Rice<br />
Edwin Rigaud<br />
Evelyn Roberts<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Byron<br />
Douglas Rushing<br />
Dr. David Satcher<br />
Ilyasah Shabazz<br />
Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth<br />
Merton Simpson<br />
Beverly Evans Smith<br />
Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr.<br />
Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum<br />
Burl Toler<br />
Linda Torrence<br />
Ralph Tyler<br />
Anthony Wagner<br />
Lottie Watkins<br />
<strong>The</strong> Honorable Diane Watson<br />
Solomon Brown Watson<br />
Harold Wheeler<br />
George White<br />
Barry Williams<br />
Olly Wilson<br />
Robert Winfrey<br />
Hattie Winston<br />
Charles Calvin Yancey<br />
* List still in formation<br />
2006 contributions and donations<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> would like to thank the following for their contributions and donations:<br />
$100,000+<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chicago Tribune* $150,000<br />
Discover Financial Services $100,000<br />
$50,000+<br />
News Corporation $50,000<br />
<strong>The</strong> Atlanta Journal-Constitution* $50,000<br />
$25,000+<br />
Polk Foundation $30,000<br />
American Airlines* $25,000<br />
<strong>The</strong> Coca-Cola Company $25,000<br />
<strong>The</strong> Hilton Hotels Corporation* $25,000<br />
Jackmont Hospitality* $25,000<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chicago Community Trust $25,000<br />
UPS Foundation $25,000<br />
Verizon $25,000<br />
$10,000+<br />
Georgia Power $10,000<br />
Herb & Sheran Wilkins $10,000<br />
SunTrust Bank $10,000<br />
<strong>The</strong> Darden Foundation $10,000<br />
Turner Broadcasting $10,000<br />
Tysons Dodge Jeep* $10,000<br />
$5,000+<br />
Joseph Roberts $9,000<br />
AC Advisory (Adela Cepeda) $7,500<br />
Antoinette Cook Bush & Dwight Bush, Sr. $5,000<br />
Bell South Corporation $5,000<br />
Ellie Trowbridge $5,000<br />
Emmit McHenry & Singleton McAllister $5,000<br />
George & Cheryl Haywood $5,000<br />
Inner City Broadcasting $5,000<br />
Kirkland & Ellis $5,000<br />
Marlene & Fred Malek $5,000<br />
Radio One $5,000<br />
Wendy & Frank Raines $5,000<br />
RLJ Development $5,000<br />
Sharon Malone & Eric Holder $5,000<br />
Vicki and Roger Sant $5,000<br />
Synovus $5,000<br />
United Rentals $5,000<br />
WalMart $5,000<br />
Winston & Strawn $5,000<br />
$2,500+<br />
Jewel-Osco* $4,500<br />
<strong>The</strong> Goodman <strong>The</strong>atre $4,000<br />
Mercedes Laing $2,500<br />
Starcom $2,500<br />
$1,000+<br />
Shelia & Raymond Whiteman $2000<br />
Stephanie Phillipps & George Murray $2,000<br />
Sherry Davis $1,800<br />
Sharon Moore $1,500<br />
Ann & James Hudson $1,000<br />
William & Lovida Coleman $1,000<br />
* In kind<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Training Summit cont. from page 7<br />
history is revealed to us through four<br />
primary representations: 1) documentary<br />
evidence; 2) the human voice; 3) visual/<br />
audio medium; and 4) objects, creations,<br />
artifacts and physical structures.<br />
As a trained historian and archivist, I believe<br />
that African American life, culture and history<br />
is the most compelling and dramatic history in<br />
the western hemisphere.<br />
On Sunday, all participants engaged in<br />
role-playing and various trouble shooting<br />
aspects of the production process. At the<br />
end of the day, both staff and trainees<br />
were ready to renew <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
goal of gathering and preserving 5,000<br />
African American video oral histories for<br />
future generations. ~<br />
PAGE 18 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
Sponsor a HistoryMaker ®<br />
Save A Life ... Preserve A Memory ... Create A Legacy<br />
Help <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> by sponsoring a HistoryMaker interview<br />
at the cost of $2,500-$5,000 per interview. Whether you are<br />
an individual, organization, company or school, sponsoring a<br />
HistoryMaker or a group of<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> is as easy as 1, 2, 3!<br />
Our goal in 2006-2007 is to have 400 interviews sponsored. We<br />
hope that you will take part in this unique program.<br />
Maybe you already have someone<br />
in mind or we can supply you<br />
with a list of candidates. Your<br />
contribution will be promoted to<br />
millions via our website (www.<br />
thehistorymakers.com), in our<br />
program books, our newsletter and<br />
as part of our programs and events.<br />
You will have the satisfaction<br />
of knowing that you helped to<br />
preserve an important part of<br />
history. Our corporate and foundation sponsors<br />
have included the Knight Foundation, the Lincoln Financial Group<br />
Foundation and the McCormick Tribune Foundation. Our largest<br />
individual sponsors, to date, are Ray Shepard and Gail Waller and<br />
Tim Schwertfeger with a contribution of $25,000 each!<br />
<strong>The</strong> following people or organizations have sponsored<br />
HistoryMaker<br />
interview(s). Thank you for your support<br />
$25,000<br />
Gail Waller & Tim<br />
Schwertfeger<br />
$10,000<br />
Reynaldo Glover<br />
Kleberg Foundation<br />
Herman Russell<br />
$7,500<br />
Barbara Burrell<br />
Robert James, II<br />
Walter Hill<br />
$5,000<br />
Bank One<br />
Lonnie Brooks<br />
Clark Burrus<br />
Discover Financial Services<br />
Don Roman<br />
Pritzker Foundation<br />
State Farm Insurance<br />
Turner Construction<br />
Foundation<br />
$2,500<br />
Abott Labs<br />
Nicole Adams<br />
Dickerson Amina<br />
Ruth Apilado<br />
Ariel Mutual Funds<br />
Sterling Ashby<br />
Norma Barfield<br />
Sherman Beverly<br />
William Bonaparte<br />
Juel Pate Borders<br />
Alfreda Bradley-Coar<br />
Tyrone Brooks<br />
Diann Burns & Marc Watts<br />
Alfred Cain<br />
Diane & Louis Carr<br />
Les Coney<br />
Ron Daly<br />
Merri Dee<br />
Renee Ferguson & Ken<br />
Smikle<br />
Ulysses Ford<br />
Badi Foster<br />
Murrell H. Fouchee<br />
Rita Fry<br />
Brenda Gaines<br />
Bettiann Gardner<br />
Amy Golson<br />
Ernest Green<br />
Gloria Hemphill<br />
Eric Holder & Sharon<br />
Malone<br />
Wendell & Marie Johns<br />
<strong>The</strong>lma Jones<br />
Ella Mizelle Kelly<br />
Paul King<br />
Paul D. King<br />
Willie Leftwich<br />
William Lowry<br />
Renetta McCann<br />
Patricia Mell<br />
Ralph Moore<br />
Northwestern Univ. Dept.<br />
of Alumni Relations<br />
<strong>The</strong> Philadelphia Chapter<br />
of <strong>The</strong> Links<br />
Amos Otis<br />
<strong>The</strong> Potomac Chapter<br />
of <strong>The</strong> Links (Ann<br />
Ashmore Hudson)<br />
Madeline Murphy Rabb<br />
Ruby Sales<br />
<strong>The</strong> Savannah Chapter of<br />
<strong>The</strong> Links<br />
SBC/Ameritech<br />
Melody Spann-Cooper<br />
Richard Stephenson<br />
Curtis Symonds<br />
Marshall Thompson<br />
Genelle Trader<br />
Richard Weedman<br />
$1,500<br />
Edward J. Williams<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Chicago Salon Featuring Geoffrey Holder<br />
On Thursday, September 8, 2005, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> held a salon at the home<br />
of Nuveen president Timothy Schwertfeger and his wife Gail Waller featuring<br />
TONY award-winning actor, choreographer and director of <strong>The</strong> Wiz, Geoffrey<br />
Holder. Salon attendees were treated with hors d’oeuvres and gathered around<br />
to listen to Geoffrey Holder’s stories. Attendees included <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Bettiann<br />
and Ed Gardner, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ staff, volunteers and other invited guests.<br />
Salon hosts Timothy Schwertfeger and Gail Waller donated $25,000 to <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong>, and other attendees donated $75,000. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> raised<br />
a total of $100,000 as a result of the salon. <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> would like to thank<br />
Geoffrey Holder and all those who attended.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> interviewer, Larry Crowe, presents Geoffrey Holder with a <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
statue. L to R: Ed Gardner, Larry Crowe, Bettiann Gardner, and Geoffrey Holder.<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 19
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> events<br />
Washington, D.C. <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Documentary Series<br />
On Wednesday, February 1,<br />
2006, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
premiered <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
Talking Truth Series coproduced<br />
by Simmons-Lathan<br />
Media Group and <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
in Washington, D.C,<br />
at the Jack Valenti Auditorium.<br />
<strong>The</strong> documentary is comprised<br />
of three hour-long DVDs with each one containing<br />
stories and excerpts from more than 40 different<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ interviews. Simmons-Lathan<br />
Media Group took footage from <strong>The</strong> History-<br />
Makers’ archives and complemented them with<br />
reenactments, bringing the individual History-<br />
Makers’ stories to life. Among those featured<br />
in the documentary include Gordon Parks,<br />
Nikki Giovanni, Terry McMillan, Vernon<br />
Jordan, Lerone Bennett, Ossie Davis, B.B.<br />
King, Isaac Hayes, Sonia Sanchez, and Congressman<br />
Jessie Jackson Jr.. <strong>The</strong> DVD set can be purchased for $50<br />
or individually for $20. <strong>The</strong> DVDs are entitled <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
On Success, <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
On Courage and History-<br />
Makers On Faith. <strong>The</strong> series<br />
is intended to uplift and encourage.<br />
It shows that despite<br />
the troubles and hardships that<br />
those in the documentary faced,<br />
their courage and faith led them<br />
ultimately to success.<br />
Invited guests to the<br />
screening included<br />
the Members of Congress<br />
Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Diane<br />
Left: Sonia Sanchez and Juan<br />
Williams. Above: Pam Fisher,<br />
Congressman Jesse Jackson,<br />
Jr.<br />
Watson, Mike Regan, Mitsy Wilson and Pam Fisher of<br />
News Corporation, Johnathan Rodgers of TV One, Patrick<br />
Butler of the Washington Post, Nick Charles of AOL<br />
Black Voices and Will Griffin of Simmons-Lathan Media<br />
Group. After the forty-five minute preview of the series, one<br />
of the <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>, Sonia Sanchez, was interviewed by<br />
journalist Juan Williams to the delight of the audience. <strong>The</strong><br />
event was sponsored by News Corporation.<br />
On Friday, February 24, 2006, JP Morgan Chase<br />
invited <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Founder and Executive<br />
Director, Julieanna Richardson, to be the featured<br />
guest speaker for their program entitled, From Boycotts<br />
to Boardrooms: Celebrating the Progress of Our Nation<br />
at Chase Tower in downtown Chicago. Richardson<br />
spoke on the subjects of media relations, community<br />
Julieanna Richardson appointed<br />
First Vernon D. Jarrett Fellow<br />
In December of 2005, <strong>The</strong> University of Illinois at Chicago’s Great Cities Institute awarded <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Founder and Executive Director, Julieanna Richardson, with the first Vernon D.<br />
Jarrett Senior Fellowship. <strong>The</strong> Great Cities Institute has invited Richardson to produce research and<br />
scholarship in residence at the institute and extend Jarrett’s work on the topics of education, journalism,<br />
and race or social commentary. Jarrett served as a Senior Fellow at the Great Cities Institute for over six<br />
years, conducting research, writing papers and helping influence young people to get a good education.<br />
Richardson plans to keep Jarrett’s legacy alive by continuing the work he began at the institute. <strong>The</strong> late<br />
Vernon Jarrett was interviewed by<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> in 2000. He passed away on May 23rd, 2004.<br />
Julieanna Richardson Invited to Speak<br />
For JP Morgan Chase<br />
development and corporate progress since the Civil<br />
Rights Movement. Julieanna Richardson and <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong> would like to thank Shawntee Reed<br />
and everyone at JP Morgan Chase. She would also<br />
like to thank Sharon Moore for her contribution of<br />
$1,500.<br />
PAGE 20 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
our offi ces<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Mid-Atlantic/Washington, D.C. Region<br />
for about 30 Prince George’s County residents, including many<br />
of the County’s “Movers and Shakers.” Several representatives<br />
of the County government were in attendance including Jack<br />
Johnson, the County Executive.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> launched its Mid-Atlantic/Washington,<br />
D.C. Regional Office in September 2005. With the leadership<br />
of Regional Coordinator, Amy Billingsley and Executive<br />
Assistant, Ngina Jackson, the staff and our volunteers have<br />
been busy with HistoryMaker<br />
programs including salons.<br />
On November 19, 2005, <strong>The</strong> Honorable Dr. Dorothy Height,<br />
former D.C. Congresswoman Nadine Winter and our own<br />
Amy Billingsley hosted a salon at the Town Square Towers<br />
building in Southwest Washington. About 40 people recounted<br />
their family stories in keeping with <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ oral<br />
tradition.<br />
On March 18, 2006, Rex and Janice McAllister hosted a salon,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mid-Atlantic Region also hosted a field trip on April 8, 2006<br />
to the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African<br />
American History and Culture in Baltimore, Maryland. A<br />
public arts program entitled <strong>The</strong> Power of the Pen: A Tool for<br />
Social Justice, will be held in the fall, 2006 at the University of<br />
Maryland College Park.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Meet <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Day<br />
of Education will be<br />
hosted in the fall as<br />
well.<br />
Top: March Prince George’s<br />
County Salon, including 3<br />
generations of McAllisters.<br />
Eric and Ian McAllister, Dr.<br />
Delores Hunter, Ngina Jackson, Dr. Yolanda Haywood, Rex McAllister,<br />
Amy Billingsley, Janice, Ruth and Anna McAllister. Left: Washington<br />
November Salon with hosts and volunteeers Standing: Nadine Winter, Jo<br />
Jones (partially hidden), Eleanor Gill, Mary Elliott, Amy Billingsley, Jacque<br />
Lee, Bertha Cahn, Mary Brown. Seated: Ngina Jackson, Dorothy Height.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Atlanta/Southeast Regional Office<br />
On Tuesday, September 20, 2005, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Atlanta/<br />
Southeast Regional Office hosted a salon entitled, Stories,<br />
History and Heritage at <strong>The</strong> City Grill in downtown Atlanta.<br />
Each attendee was given a media kit, program book, sourcing<br />
list, calendar of events and a Sponsor-A-HistoryMaker form.<br />
Invited guests, staff and volunteers talked about their family<br />
histories and heritage. <strong>The</strong>se conversations reminded the<br />
attendees about the importance of one’s heritage and ultimately<br />
led to the sponsoring of two future HistoryMaker interviews<br />
by Robert James II. James and his wife, Linda, then hosted<br />
their own salon to spread the word about <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>.<br />
On Tuesday, March 14, 2006, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> Atlanta/<br />
Southeast Regional Office in partnership with the Narvie<br />
J. Harris Traditional <strong>The</strong>me School (NJHTTS) and the<br />
NJHTTS’ Parent-Teacher Association presented, Heroes and<br />
<strong>HistoryMakers</strong>: A Tribute to Narvie J. Harris at the NJHTTS<br />
in Decatur, Georgia. <strong>The</strong> program began with opening remarks<br />
made by Janelle Jennings and Denise Gines. <strong>The</strong> NJHTTS’s<br />
students put on a skit and the remainder of the program was<br />
a conversation between Denise Gines and Narvie J. Harris.<br />
Afterwards, audience members took pictures with Mrs. Harris,<br />
purchased copies of her book and enjoyed refreshments.<br />
Since the opening of the <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ Atlanta/Southeast<br />
Regional Office, the organization has collected 46 oral history<br />
interviews in the Metro-Atlanta area. Some of our new<br />
Atlanta-area <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> include Alice Bussey, Stephanie<br />
Smith Hughley, Bishop John Hurst Adams, Valerie<br />
Richardson Jackson, Juanita Baranco, Veronica Biggins<br />
and Ambassador Andrew Young. A photo and bio on all<br />
of these <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> can be found on <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong><br />
website, www.thehistorymakers.com.<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 21
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> and Carnegie Mellon<br />
Collaborate to Test Digital Library of 1200 hours of Video<br />
It is an exciting time at <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> as our joint digital<br />
indexing project with Carnegie Mellon University’s Informedia<br />
Digital Video Library moves into its second phase. One third<br />
of our approximately 1200 interviews will be digitized, indexed<br />
and made searchable at test sites around the country. Participating<br />
institutions include <strong>The</strong> Schomburg Center for Research in<br />
Black Culture (New York), the State University of New York<br />
at Buffalo, Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio), Emory<br />
University (Atlanta), and the University of Illinois at Urbana-<br />
Champaign. In addition, librarians from the University of Illinois<br />
at Chicago have pledged to assist in the testing process on-site at<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong>’ office in Chicago.<br />
Video player (search term highlighted).<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> began the project with the goal of creating a<br />
database of searchable digital videos and transcripts for 400 of its<br />
approximately 1200 interviews. <strong>The</strong> project began in 2004 with a<br />
grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services that<br />
lasted through the end of 2005.<br />
displays the title of each segment, the date of the interview, the<br />
length of the segment, and the option to play the corresponding<br />
video. <strong>The</strong> transcript of each segment is displayed below the<br />
video, with keywords coded in different colors. Voice recognition<br />
technology highlights the text as it is spoken in the video.<br />
<strong>The</strong> end result of the Project Fellows’ and Carnegie Mellon’s hard<br />
work is a tool that brings thousands of America’s untold stories to<br />
the fingertips of researchers.<br />
Since receiving the data server in January 2006, Cheri Pugh and<br />
Tyler Barnett have tested the search client and given feedback<br />
to Carnegie Mellon. In May 2006, Cheri and Tyler will travel to<br />
Carnegie Mellon’s Informedia Digital Video Library Center to<br />
learn about a new version of the software, which was designed<br />
with their feedback. Starting in June, the test sites should receive<br />
their own data server and testing will begin.<br />
In the long term, this project will help to revolutionize history<br />
education and research, making invaluable primary source<br />
material available on a widescale basis. <strong>The</strong> eventual goal is for<br />
every interview at <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> to be included in the digital<br />
archives. In the meantime, all are welcome to visit the offices<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> at 1900 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago<br />
and explore the database for themselves. Your feedback and<br />
participation is important. Please call (312) 674-1900 to arrange<br />
your visit. And a special thanks goes out to Howard Wactlar and<br />
his team: Bryan Maher, Mike Christel, Colleen Everett, Bob<br />
Baron and Melissa Keaton.<br />
From November 2004 through January 2005, Project Leader Cheri<br />
Pugh hired five Project Fellows: Susan Perry, Tyler Barnett,<br />
Sonia Nelson, Tracey Lewis, and Mike Downey. Melissa Minor<br />
would join the team as a Project Fellow in April 2005. <strong>The</strong> Fellows<br />
reached the goal of 400 interviews processed by December 2005.<br />
Once the process of indexing and segmenting the interviews was<br />
completed, <strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> transferred the data to Informedia<br />
Digital Video Library at Carnegie Mellon University. Informedia<br />
sent back a fully functional data server. With every user query, the<br />
program searches through all 400 interviews in the database and<br />
displays the results as thumbnail photos. Selecting each thumbnail<br />
Database tree view (with notes window).<br />
PAGE 22 SPRING 2006 THE HISTORYMAKERS
<strong>The</strong> <strong>HistoryMakers</strong> in Memoriam<br />
Junius “Red” Gaten<br />
Social Activist<br />
February 28, 1900 - November 30, 2005<br />
Wilhelmina Rolark<br />
President, United Black Fund<br />
September 12, 1916 – February 14, 2006<br />
Jorja English Palmer<br />
Community Activist<br />
June 16, 1930 – December 29, 2005<br />
Art Minson<br />
Community Leader<br />
N/A – December 14, 2005<br />
Charles Stewart<br />
Electrician<br />
August 7, 1910 – February 13, 2006<br />
Gordon Parks, Sr.<br />
Photographer, Writer & Director<br />
November 30, 1912 – March 7, 2006<br />
Fayard Nicholas<br />
Dancer<br />
October 20, 1914 – January 24, 2006<br />
Doris Jones<br />
Ballet Dancer & Instructor<br />
N/A – March 21, 2006<br />
Rhoda Louise Kent-Hope<br />
Educator & Arts Advocate<br />
January 15, 1915 – October 6, 2005<br />
Della Hardman<br />
Arts Educator<br />
May 20, 1922 – December 13, 2005<br />
Julia Woodhouse Harden<br />
University Librarian<br />
July 6, 1909 – February 11, 2006<br />
Truman K. Gibson, Jr.<br />
Attorney & Boxing Promoter<br />
January 22, 1912 – December 23, 2005<br />
George L. Brown<br />
Political Leader<br />
July 1, 1926 – March 30, 2006<br />
THE HISTORYMAKERS SPRING 2006 PAGE 23
On Wednesday, November 30, 2005, HistoryMaker, Junius “Red”<br />
Gaten of Chicago passed away at the age of 105. Retired from the<br />
Jefferson Ice Company over thirty years, the confusion caused by his<br />
red hair helped Gaten survive the infamous Chicago Race Riot of 1919.<br />
Gaten was a rent party pianist and knew a participant in the Southside’s<br />
old Washington Park<br />
Forum. As a political<br />
organizer, Gaten helped<br />
bring Paul Robeson<br />
to Chicago in the<br />
1940’s. Articulate with a<br />
booming voice and a<br />
great sense of humor,<br />
Mr. Gaten, at 105 years<br />
old could still walk<br />
and possessed close<br />
to absolute recall,<br />
providing names, dates<br />
and street addresses<br />
dating back to his arrival<br />
in Chicago in 1905.<br />
His memories include<br />
Jack Johnson shoveling a load of dimes to street children; Ma Rainey’s<br />
band; Jesse Binga’s financial advice; J.A. Rogers history lectures;<br />
businessman Anthony Overton; Chicago Defender<br />
founder, Robert<br />
Abbott; and picking up dry cleaning for Al Capone. He discussed history<br />
with Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was a frequent guest of Gaten’s uncle.<br />
He heard Marcus Garvey lecture and was friends with the Gordon family<br />
of Chicago’s Universal Negro Improvement Association.<br />
Originally from Amite County, Mississippi, Mr. Gaten said that he<br />
grew up near the old Chicago Coliseum in Chicago’s “Black Belt”,<br />
not “Bronzeville”, a name that came much later. At age 15, he was<br />
an “ice man” delivering ice down Grand Boulevard from a horse<br />
drawn wagon to anti-lynching activist, Ida B. Wells and former black<br />
Reconstruction Congressman John R. Lynch. Grand Boulevard<br />
was subsequently renamed South Park, and is known as Martin<br />
Luther King Drive.<br />
Mr. Gaten made a rare television appearance last January<br />
on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight”. He was demonstrating Jack<br />
junius gaten<br />
105 year old knew Ida B. Wells, Jack<br />
Johnson, Carter G. Woodson and other greats<br />
Johnson’s boxing style to promote the Johnson documentary,<br />
“Unforgivable Blackness”. A philosopher with a keen grasp of<br />
current events, Mr. Gaten was a regular caller to Chicago talk<br />
radio station, WVON. Gaten celebrated his birthday with several<br />
dinners each year with recognition from Chicago’s Third Ward Alderman<br />
Dorothy Tillman and the DuSable League. Mr. Gaten’s funeral was held<br />
Friday, December 9, 2005 at St. John Church – Baptist in Chicago. An<br />
indispensable part of the collection, Gaten’s photograph and bio are on<br />
our website, www.thehistorymakers.com.<br />
1900 S. Michigan Avenue<br />
Chicago, IL 60616<br />
www.thehistorymakers.com<br />
info@thehistorymakers.com