About the Series:
\n2026 marks the United States&rsquo\; semiquincentennial &ndash\; its 250th birthday! Join us to celebrate the big birthday with a monthly movie showing the people from the past and present that had a hand in crea ting these United States. Get a monthly cinematic glimpse of what America looks like! \;
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\nAbout the Films:
\nThis short film discusses the contributions of Black artists to American cultural history including the work of slave artisans \, Black portrait painters\, and the Harlem Renaissance.
\nProvides in sights into the experience of the Afro-American cowboy and the settler fam ilies of the late 1800s and early 1900s through reenactments and personal narratives. George Ellison recalls his life as a cowboy\, Frank Greenway r elives his feats as one of the great rodeo competitors of the early 1900s\ , and dramatizations picture Eunice Norris' memories of being an isolated Black child in the rugged West.
\nDiscusses the s truggle of Black Pullman porters to unionize\, even though rebuked by whit e organized labor\, and the eventual formation of the Brotherhood of Sleep ing Car Porters under A. Philip Randolph. This charming film\, composed of interviews with retired porters\, archival film\, and a 100-year-old port er's widow\, sheds light on a prime force in the civil rights struggle.
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\nAbout the Film Collection
\nT he 16mm film collection has been part of the Library's holdings for over 5 5 years. It began in the 1960s\, and its first films were part of the City of Miami&rsquo\;s public library before there was a county library. When MDPLS was formed\, the County supplemented its local funding for films wit h Federal LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act) grants. Apart from leased feature films\, all films were purchased for free exhibition for th e life of the print. Subjects within the collection include experimental/a vant-garde art films\, non-narrated films\, children&rsquo\;s films\, Blac k history\, Floridiana\, and local history. Today\, there are over 4\,000 films within the collection.
\nAbout the Division of Special Collections &\; Archives
\nMiami-Dade Public Library Sy stem&rsquo\;s Division of Special Collections &\; Archives holds rare a nd irreplaceable historical documents for the benefit of the public and sc holarly community. They oversee the Helen Muir Florida Collection\, 16mm F ilm Collection\, Cuban Collection of Rare Books &\; Ephemera\, Genealog y Collection\, The Vasari Project\, and rare &\; antiquarian books from as early as the 17th century. The Division's primary goal is to provide t he public with the contents of the vault at their request. Its collections include rare books\, original manuscripts\, over 18\,000 photographs\, pr ints\, artifacts\, audiovisual resources\, and electronic media.
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