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AV CLUB: Black History on 16mm Film

Celebrate Black History Month

Join us for an exploration of lesser-known aspects of Black History through a series of short films produced by Carol Munday Lawrence for the television program "Were You There?" Utilizing interviews, re-enactments, and archival footage, the films shine a light on what were in the early 1980s mostly forgotten but crucially important Black Americans. For more information, contact 305-375-5572 or specialcollections@mdpls.org. 14 yrs.+

Films to be screened:

February 12th, 2026 @ 5:00 - 7:00 PM

The Cotton Club - 28m

Highlights the lifestyle and the experiences of five performers who appeared in The Cotton Club shows during the Harlem Renaissance era. Featured are Cab Calloway, Avon Long, the Nicholas Brothers and Estrellita, who tell stories of Harlem in the 1930's and their show business careers. Includes vintage film clips of the artists.

The Facts of Life - 28m

Features the life and work of blues musician Willie Dixon, a composer, producer, and performer who has written over 700 blues songs. Shows him at his home, recording studio, and in performance, and includes dramatic reenactments from his life.

Portrait of Two Artists - 28m

Features Black American artists Hughie Lee-Smith and Jacob Lawrence. Shows their work and looks in on a class taught by Mr. Lee-Smith. Visits the artists in their studios and included animated sequences of the illustrations of Mr. Lawrence's children's book Harriet and the Promised Land.

February 19th, 2026 @ 5:00 - 7:00 PM

When the Animals Talked - 28m

Educator and folklorist Rev. William Faulkner provides fresh insight into Afro-American folklore. He began as a boy of 10, listening to an ex-slave tell stories which helped slaves struggle against their slavery. Faulkner explains the role of B'rer Rabbit as alter ego of the blacks. He picks up new stories on a fishing trip and reintroduces the real Brer Rabbit.

Sports Profile - 28m

Focuses on Artie Wilson, a celebrity in the Negro Baseball League, from sand lot baseball, through the Negro League to become one of the first Black players to integrate the White leagues. Reenactments highlight his childhood and career. Looks at the life and career of Alice Coachman, a self taught runner who trained at Tuskeegee and won a gold medal in the 1948 Olympics.

Oscar Micheaux, Film Pioneer - 28m

Oscar Micheaux (early Black filmmaker) is remembered for his work as a pioneer producer-director whose films offered a positive image and an alternative for Black people in the 1920s and 1930s. The program is built around the on-camera reminiscences of two performers who appeared in Micheaux films: Bee Freeman, dubbed the "Sepia Mae West" and Lorenzo Tucker, the "Black Valentino."

About the Film Collection

The Miami-Dade Public Library holds one of the remaining, circulating 16mm film collections. The collection dates back to 1956 and was developed to be a teaching collection designed to be used for public programming. Its holdings include acclaimed feature films such as Rashomon (1950), Alphaville (1965), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Pandora’s Box (1928), and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). However, what makes this collection special is the wide array of short films, ranging from experimental created by notable artists like Len Lye, Luis Bunel, Homer Groening, Kenneth Anger, Sergei Eisenstein, John Whitney to the educational produced by the likes of Pyramid Films, Xerox, McGraw Hill, and National Film Board of Canada.

Unique to the collection are Florida specific titles like Enchanted (1982), Metropolis in the Sun (1989), The Everglades (1970), A Hurricane Named Betsy (1965), Miccosukee Indian Friends (1975), Salesman (1969), and more.

The library’s films are available to be checked out for a period of 2 weeks to Miami-Dade Public Library cardholders. The library does not circulate equipment and projectors – patrons will need to have their own. Patrons can also access the films on-site at the library through a research visit scheduled with the Special Collections department.

About the Division of Special Collections & Archives

Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Division of Special Collections & Archives holds rare and irreplaceable historical documents for the benefit of the public and scholarly community. They oversee the Helen Muir Florida Collection, 16mm Film Collection, Cuban Collection of Rare Books & Ephemera, Genealogy Collection, Vasari Project, and rare & antiquarian books from as early as the 17th century. The Division's primary goal is to provide the public with the contents of the vault at their request. Its collections include rare books, original manuscripts, over 18,000 photographs, prints, artifacts, audiovisual resources, and electronic media.

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