From These Roots

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A documentary film with the title From These Roots. It consists of a single reel of black-and-white acetate film with optical sound. The film describes the history of the Harlem Renaissance through the use of narration by actor Brock Peters and still images, many of which were taken by James Van Der Zee. The documentary opens with a brief discussion of the various ethnic groups that occupied Harlem prior to the Renaissance, before moving to a discussion of significant African Americans that lived in Harlem and their contributions to the community. Some of the individuals discussed include A'Lelia Walker, James Van Der Zee, Adam Clayton Powell, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Josephine Baker, Ethel Walters, Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, Florence Mills, Paul Robeson, Marcus Garvey, Aaron Douglas and several others. Additionally, the narrator recites works of poets such as Claude McKay and Langston Hughes.

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