Explore Black History

December 28, 1970

16mm film of Episode 28 of the television show Black Journal aired on National Educational Television (NET). The episode is in black and white and begins with text flashing on the screen just before a countdown begins. The screen becomes white and the TV station’s logo appears in the top left-hand corner of the screen. In the center of the frame, [THE BLACK WOMAN] appears in black letters. The episode opens with the show’s executive producer, Tony Brown, wearing a suit and sitting in front of an image of a woman smiling. He states that, “This show will concentrate on one of the greatest institutions in the world: the black woman.”
The next scene begins with four women sitting in a semicircle. It is a panel discussion between six women: Roberta Flack, Joan K. Harris, Jean Fairfax, Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, Bibi Amina Baraka and Marion-Etoile Watson. The women talk about black men’s historical disenfranchisement and “humiliation” within American society, the role of black women in reclaiming black men’s masculinity, and their role within the black community. At one point, Vertamae Grosvenor states that, “…if it takes…you know, at this point…you know you’ve got to walk four paces behind me baby, slowly. That might be revolution, I’ll do that. I will do anything at this point that’s needed.” Joan Harris responds by saying, “Vertamae, is that revolutionary? How revolutionary is it if one-half of us is in condescension and a kind of almost fear, saying walking ten paces behind you, saying that in order for me to ‘regain my manhood, I have to deny you your peoplehood?’ Is that revolutionary? I think we really have to explore that…” The scene continues with conversations around the Moynihan report, “cultural nationalism,” and the “myth” of the black matriarch.
The next scene begins with a performance by singer Novella Nelson. During the performance, a slideshow of different women is shown on the screen. The scene ends with a close-up shot of Novella Nelson as she sings the last words in the song. The next segment, which features poet Nikki Geovanni interviewing singer Lena Horne, begins with Giovanni reading a poem entitled “Poem for a Lady Whose Voice I like.” Nikki Giovanni admits that she wrote the poem for Lena Horne. They discuss issues ranging from Lena Horne’s success, activist Angela Davis’ arrest, as well as Lena Horne’s relationship with her late father and son. After the scene ends, a dancer performs briefly.
“Part Two” of the episode begins with the same six women that open “Part One.” At one point, Jean Fairfax interjects by stating that, “I wanna say something that some of you may disagree with, and that is, I don’t think you can just work for black children. I think the minute you start working on the problems of the black child, you find that you have to be concerned with all children. Don’t you?” She goes on by mentioning that “I don’t think that we can concentrate just on what you call the black nation so long as we exist in America, which is a society.”
There is also a section on the black church, which features the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit, Michigan. Activist and poet Sonia Sanchez addresses a congregation. Other segments include: two poetry readings by a young girl, Kalia; a performance by Roberta Flack; and a dance performance by a woman dressed in all black.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Black Journal

Time-based Media - Moving Images

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Walter Forsberg and Paulina Suarez

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2017.32.1.1ab

sound films
color films (visual works)
16mm (photographic film size)

Unknown – Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

acetate film

Duration: 52 min.

Title • Black Journal: The Black Woman

nmaahc_2017.32.1.1ab

NMAAHC

BLACK JOURNAL: THE BLACK WOMAN

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1970s

Lathan, Stan • Watson, Marian Etoile • Smart-Grosvenor, Vertamae • Nelson, Novella Christine • NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. • Flack, Roberta • Giovanni, Nikki • Sanchez, Sonia • Harris, Joan K. • Horne, Lena • Fairfax, Jean • National Educational Television • Baraka, Bibi Amina • Abbott, Loretta

Detroit • United States • North and Central America • Wayne County • Michigan

Women • Public television • Hollywood (Film) • Religion • Feminism • Actors and actresses • Theatre • Motion pictures • Journalism • Civil rights • Poetry • Motherhood • Singers (Musicians) • Race relations • Rhythm and blues (Music) • Gender issues • Group identity

Christians • African Americans

Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Detroit • County • Wayne County • State • Michigan

color films (visual works) • 16mm (photographic film size) • sound films

Unknown - Restrictions Possible