<I>Were You There?: The Black West </I>
date: label: Date
content: 1979
name: label: Written by
content: Carol Munday Lawrence, American
label: Produced by
content: Carol Munday Lawrence, American
label: Directed by
content: Robert N. Zagone, American, born 1938
label: Published by
content: Beacon Films, American
label: Published by
content: Nguzo Saba Films, Inc., American, founded 1973
label: Subject of
content: Eunice Norris, American, born 1897
label: Subject of
content: Frank Greenway, American
label: Subject of
content: George Ellison, American
label: Recorded by
content: Odetta, American, 1930 - 2008
label: Owned by
content: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
notes: label: Caption
content: The Black West relies on the oral histories of three early Black settlers of the American West—George Ellison, Frank Greenway, and Eunice Norris. Throughout the film they each recall their lives on the frontier and the unique challenges experienced by Black homesteaders in the late 19th/early 20th century. The film’s musical score was arranged by famous folk singer and civil rights activist, Odetta.
label: Caption
content: This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
label: Description
content: A documentary film with the title The Black West from the mini television series Were You There? It consists of a single reel of positive 16mm acetate film with bilateral variable-area optical sound.
label: Description
content: The film depicts the experiences of African American cowboys and the settler families of the late 1800s and early 1900s, relying on reenactments and personal narratives. Some of the individuals featured in the film include black cowboy George Ellison, rodeo competitor Frank Greenway, and Eunice Norris, who discusses her experience as a black child growing up in the West.
place: label: Place used
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place filmed
content: Colorado, United States, North and Central America
label: Place filmed
content: Arizona, United States, North and Central America
label: Place made
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: American West
label: Topic
content: Children
label: Topic
content: Documentary films
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Gender
label: Topic
content: Migrations
label: Topic
content: Race discrimination
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Rodeos
label: Topic
content: Rural life
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: DC Public Library Film Collection
label: Portfolio/Series
content: Were You There?
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.55.1.1a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: short subjects
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 28 min.
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 1000 ft