Summary Information
Community Media, Inc. Records
AIS.2004.01
Community Media, Inc..
Bulk, 1990-2002
1989-2003
7.5 linear feet (6 boxes)
Language: English
Abstract: Community Media (CM) of Pittsburgh was a non-profit consortium that presented and produced films and trained teens in broadcast media disciplines. Founder and educational director Billy Jackson and student interns produced several documentaries on gang behavior, police brutality, and African-American music and theater. The collection consists of corporate records, meeting minutes, personnel files, financial statements, grant proposals, project outlines and reports, press releases and news clippings, leaflets, pamphlets, programs, photographs, and audio and video tape.
ULS Archives Service Center
University of Pittsburgh Library System
7500 Thomas Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA, 15260
412-648-3232
archives-ref@mail.pitt.edu
December 23, 2010
Finding aid prepared by Archives Service Center staff.
History
Community Media Program Director and founder William “Billy” Jackson received an MA in Educational Media from Harvard University in 1974, and was a filmmaker throughout his career. Jackson was a principal of Nommo Productions, which produced films for Alcoa, BET, Duquesne Light, and the New York City Department of General Services, as well as co-producing “Booker T. Washington” for PBS, which won the Cine Golden Eagle in 1986.
Jackson founded Community Media in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh in 1989. CM was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization in 1994, with the mission of “provid[ing] programs for young people to increase their knowledge of cutting-edge media production and presentation skills,” and “present[ing] respected media artists and their work to diverse audiences to celebrate and preserve African-American culture throughout the Diaspora.”
Jackson partnered with a variety of contemporaneous Pittsburgh- and regionally-based non-profit corporations, and assembled an executive board and staff of experienced businesspeople from the private and public sectors. Major A. Mason, III, Ph.D., served as CM’s President for much of its existence, though the general board makeup rotated frequently, and Jackson retained executive fiat in all corporate affairs. CM obtained major funding through donations from grant-making organizations and civic associations including the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the Heinz Endowments, and The Pittsburgh Foundation. Beginning in 1998, Jackson adopted a less active role in CM management, resigning as Program Director to focus on special program development and instruction of volunteers and interns. Finances, personnel, and public relations responsibilities were also delegated to hired staff.
CM’s mission was primarily carried out in three programs. “Images of Culture” presented African-American filmmakers and their work to multicultural audiences through film series (“First Fridays,” “Takin’ It to the Streets”), lecture forums, and special events featuring artists such as playwright August Wilson, filmmakers Gordon Parks and Melvin Van Peebles, and entertainer and social activist Harry Belafonte. “Video Documentation Services” (VDS) trained interns and linked them to video professionals to produce freelance documentaries for non-profit organizations. “Community Eye” served as an in-house documentary production company. Directed by Jackson, interns produced films on African-American enterprise, theater, and community life..
CM’s 10th Anniversary, “Visions of the World” in 1999, marked Jackson’s retirement as program director; he resigned from the corporation altogether in 2002. Dr. Mason managed Community Media’s dissolution through 2003.
Collection Scope and Content Notes
The collection encompasses corporate records, board meeting minutes, personnel files, financial statements, grant proposals, project outlines, press releases, leaflets, pamphlets, programs, newspaper clippings, photographs, and audio and video tape, which relate to the funding, operations, and productions of Community Media’s three main programs -- Images of a Culture, Community Eye, and VDS -- as well as special events. Generally, materials are arranged chronologically within each series; film media are arranged alphabetically by title or subject as well as by date. Programs Records are also arranged by topic or subject. More information is available at the series level.
Arrangement
The files are arranged into seven (?) series:
Series I. Corporate Records and Development
Series II. Budgets and Audited Financial Records
Series III. Internship Program Records
Series IV. Production Programs
Series V. Grants, Donations, and Funding Requests
Series VI. Media Recordings
Series VII. Awards and Citations
Subject Terms
- African American business enterprises -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Arts fund raising -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Business enterprises -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Documentary mass media -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Media programs (Education) -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Nonprofit organizations -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Public-access television -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Homewood (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Pittsburgh (Pa.)
- Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Race relations
- Audiotapes
- Business records
- Photographs
- Videocassettes
- Videotapes
- Associations
- Ethnic groups
Access and Use
No restrictions.
Gift of William Jackson, January, 2004.
Community Media, Inc. Records, 1989-2003, AIS.2004.01, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Collection processed by Matt Novak in March, 2005.
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Collection Inventory
Series I. Corporate Records and Development, 1993-2002
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Scope and Content Notes: Corporate Records are comprised of the establishing instruments and operational documents of Community Media, Inc. Fact Sheets include the official corporate history and organizational departmental/personnel tree. The Articles of Incorporation file contains the corporate seal.
Personnel records are included in the series. Community Media employed one full time staff member who served as a grant writer, administrative assistant, and office manager, and shared accounting, marketing, and PR duties with Jackson; these responsibilities were delegated to separate paid positions only in the last couple of years of CM’s operation. Program Director Billy Jackson and Board President Major Mason, III, Ph.D., were awarded nominal salaries, and student intern Darnell “Werm” Grisham was eventually employed as coordinator of the VDS program. Professional freelance videographers were hired on a per-event basis as needed. All other CM members of the board volunteered their time. Student interns, managing A/V operations for VDS, and producing documentary films through the Community Eye program, were compensated by various programs, mainly by grants from YouthWorks, an Allegheny County franchise of a national youth employment initiative. Technical and career training were also covered under this program; detailed student personnel files are found in Series V., YouthWorks Programs.
Executive Personnel Records include personnel listings for the Executive Board and Executive Committees, as well as correspondence regarding the hire and retirement of individual board members. Employment Records include staff and volunteer personnel listings, correspondence with staff and volunteers regarding employment status, and documents relating to candidate interview procedures and initial employee evaluations practices.
Executive Correspondence, including e-mail print-outs, relates to CM operations, management, and community partners, and documents the administrative changes and dissolution of Community Media during a period from 2001-2002.
Awards and citations include certificates of recognition from the African-American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh City Council, Allegheny County Chief Executive James Roddey, and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, as well as U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA).
Records of Corporate Development document management-level educational initiatives and community partnerships. Documents relating to executive retreats, seminars, and workshops include corporate consulting by the Washington Group of Pittsburgh, which resulted in a detailed three-year strategic plan, and a restructuring of Community Media’s Board of Directors.
Jackson eventually participated on the advisory boards for several community-driven and non-profit concerns, such as an African-American Cultural Committee advising Pittsburgh City Council, and the plans for development of an African-American Cultural Heritage Center in Pittsburgh, developing partnerships that would tangibly further CM’s mission; filed correspondence documents relationships with Tony Buba, producer of the film “Struggles in Steel,” the City Cultural Committee, the Allegheny Policy Council, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and PCTV, among others. Formal meeting minutes and related correspondence are filed by organization title.
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Box 1
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1 |
Community Media Fact Sheets
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2 |
Articles of Incorporation, 1994
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3 |
501(c)(3) Certification, 1994
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4 |
Bylaws of Community Media
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5 |
Affirmative Action Statement
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6 |
Board and Personnel Job Descriptions
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7 |
Board and Staff Resumes
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8 |
Personnel Lists and Committee Trees
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9 |
Board Correspondence, 1994-2002
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10 |
Personnel Correspondence, 1995-2002
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11 |
Administrative Correspondence, 1994-2002
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12-18 |
Board Meeting Minutes, 1993-2002
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19 |
Awards and Citations (oversize)
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20 |
Executive Training and Workshops Records, 1996-2001
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21 |
Board Retreat/Richardson Consult Records, 1996
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22-23 |
Strategic Planning Session/Washington Consult Records, 1998-1999
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24 |
Community Media, Inc. Three-Year Strategic Plan, 1999-2001
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25 |
Community Contact Listings
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26 |
Community Non-Profit Partnership Correspondence, 1994-2001
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27 |
African American Cultural Center of Greater Pittsburgh Planning Committee, Urban Redevelopment Authority, 1997-1998
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28 |
Kuumba Trust, 1997-2000
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29 |
Small and Mid-Sized Arts Advocacy Consortium (SMAAC), 1998-1999
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30 |
African-American Chamber of Commerce Membership, 2000
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31 |
Citizens for the Arts in PA, 2000-2001
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32 |
Office of Cultural Tourism, Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2001
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Series II. Budgets and Audited Financial Records, 1990-2002
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Scope and Content Notes: Budgets include budget projections, monthly expenditure and cash flow reports, as well as year-end profit/loss summaries. As a requirement of non-profit incorporation, CM was audited annually from 1994 until 2001, and those records are included here.
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33 |
Budget reports, September 1990-August 1994
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34 |
Budget reports, September 1994-January 2002
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35 |
Audited Financials, 1994-2001
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Series III. Internship Programs, 1994-2001
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Scope and Content Notes: Series includes grant applications, records of receipt, invoices, student personnel records and correspondence relating to Community Media’s internship training and intern-produced programs. The bulk of the records in this series relate to programs funded by YouthWorks, a youth employment and job skills training initiative based in Western Pennsylvania. The YouthWorks program is itself supported by The Pittsburgh Partnership, The Heinz Endowments, the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County governments, and the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, which administers federal funds for the region; records issuing from these agencies are included in the series. YouthWorks applicants compete for several grants with different monetary caps and eligibility criteria, including “Best Practices,” “Building Organizational Capacity,” and “Youth Careers” grants.
Records of intern acquisition include classified ads and intern position descriptions, facility access policy and terms of employment. Intern applications files include letters of introduction, and formal evaluations of the incoming and outgoing skill-levels of the interns.
Intern Survey and Evaluation Forms were completed periodically throughout the course of the summer internship, and follow up reports were solicited to monitor the student’s school activity, and facilitate career placement.
Administrative Correspondence includes email prints detailing the daily operations of the program, as well as correspondence relating to interns acquired by agreement with some other smaller regional programs, or directly from local universities or school districts, utilizing the Head Start program at Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Annual grant applications and reports are included in the series. YouthWorks funding subsidized CM’s seasonal internships, providing funds for development and implementation of curricula in A/V production, including special events and career development field trips; records of such education are included. YouthWorks grants also made it possible to compensate working project interns with an hourly wage; intern schedules and hourly invoices specify project assignments, locations, and crew responsibilities as delegated among the various interns.
Interns worked across CM’s programs. YouthWorks grants enabled interns to produce documentaries through the Community Eye program for each year that monies were received, including a 1999 film itself documenting several other Pittsburgh-based YouthWorks programs. Beginning in 2000, CM intern coordinator Darnell “Werm” Grisham also worked under a pilot program called YouthArtWorks, a component of YouthWorks, a specialized grant scheme designed to facilitate teaching apprenticeships in creative and commercial art forms. That same year, Grisham also attended a leadership conference sponsored by the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture; a summary report is included in the YouthArtWorks file (cross-reference PCA files in Series V., Grants, Donations, and Funding Requests). Records of a YouthWorks-sponsored 2001 career-development trip to media training programs in Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY include student reflections.
Analytical year-end program reports detail fiscal appropriations and disbursements, as well as interns’ work experience, and include interns’ evaluations of the program, and each of the projects they engineered. Documentary films facilitated by YouthWorks grants include: 1997’s “Harambe,” 1999’s “YouthWorks” documentary, 2001’s “Jonny Gammage: Enough is Enough!,” and a multitude of VDS client projects.
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Box 2
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Intern Program Advertisements and Job Descriptions
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2 |
Intern Screening Interview Records and Resumés
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3 |
Intern Personnel Lists
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4-8 |
Intern Survey and Evaluation Forms, 1998-2001
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9-10 |
Intern Program Administrative Correspondence and Emails, 1996-2001
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11 |
Intern workshops and training curricula
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12 |
Weekly Schedules, 1998, 2001
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13 |
YouthWorks “Best Practice” records, 1996-1997
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14-15 |
YouthWorks “Building Organizational Capacity” records, 1999-2000
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16 |
NAMAC Conference, 2000
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17-18 |
YouthArtWorks “Youth Careers” records, 2000-2001
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Series IV. Production Programs, 1990-2002
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Scope and Content Notes: Series includes program schedules; budgets and invoices; agency reports and correspondence; press releases and news clippings; flyers, broadsheets and brochures; and photographs relating to Community Media’s core programs and special events. Core programs produced public lectures, symposia, film showings, and freelance video productions, and trained student interns in film production on site and in the production studio. Video Cassette Tapes and photographs documenting some projects are filed in Series VI. Media.
CM realized its mission through three main programs: Images of a Culture (1990-2002), Community Eye (1990-2001), and a Video Documentation Service (VDS) (1996-2002). In addition, CM hosted or partnered in hosting special events in line with its mission; these include screenings at Pittsburgh’s summer Three Rivers Arts Festival and New Year’s First Night celebrations, as well as a course of special events and film screenings to commemorate CM’s 10th Anniversary in 1999-2001.
More information is available at the subseries level.
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Subseries 1. Community Eye, 1990-2001
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Scope and Content Notes: The Community Eye program had origins in an eponymous 7-part video news magazine that aired on Pittsburgh’s public access PCTV in 1990. Community Eye was the predecessor to the Video Documentation Service, and “Eye” films evidenced a more sophisticated production value, pairing CM student volunteers and interns under Jackson’s direction with professional videographers to outline, film, and produce narrative documentary videos. Files include programs, shooting schedules and shot lists, film synopses, contracts and invoices, press releases and news clippings, memos and correspondence.
Two projects, “Layers” (1992), a documentary of a Pittsburgh Public Theatre production of the John Henry Redwood play A Sunbeam, and “Clean Drums” (1994), documenting a Kuntu Repertory production of the Rob Penny play of same name, were produced through Community Eye prior to the release of “A Safe Place” in 1995. “Safe” documented the problems of gang-related youth violence in Pittsburgh. It was the first full-length CM film of original subject matter, and won best community-produced documentary in the 1996 Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, Inc. International Black Independent Film & Video Competition.
“Harambe!” (meaning “rise up” in Swahili) was a half-hour documentary video, following the development of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Youth Theater Project’s production of “This Too Shall Pass,” and its troupe of young performers. The project cultivated publicity that raised funds for the play’s eventual production March 10, 1997, at Pittsburgh’s Theodore L. Hazlett, Jr. Theatre. The documentary “Harambe!” Premiered October 25, 1997, at the Homewood Branch of the Carnegie Library, and was screen several times around the city as part of the “Takin’ It to the Streets” program.
“Things That Fit” is a half-hour documentary highlighting prolific playwright and Pittsburgh native August Wilson, focusing on a New York production of his play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” a musical charting the development of blues music, and the third in a ten-play cycle which chronicles the African-American experience in the twentieth century decade by decade. Wilson addressed those gathered at the premiere presentation of “Things That Fit” on March 16, 1998 at the Carnegie Lecture Hall in Oakland; the film won an award from the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) in 1999.
In 1999, CM interns produced a documentary on YouthWorks job training programs around Allegheny County, including their own program. As both the CM interns and Community Media were paid by the YouthWorks organization, and as the documentary project was the subject of the winning proposal CM had submitted to YouthWorks that year, documentation of the documentary resides in the YouthWorks series.
“Jonny Gammage: Enough is ENOUGH!” began to document the political fallout and racial tensions following the 1996 shooting-death of motorist Gammage at the hands of suburban Pittsburgh police. The file contains significant background research and notes relating to community forums on police brutality and the establishment of the Citizen’s Review Board for Pittsburgh Police, as well as highlights of interviews with Gammage’s surviving family in Syracuse, NY (Gammage was a cousin of former Pittsburgh Steeler Ray Seals). The film was previewed October 14, 1999 at the “Just Us: Protecting Our Freedom” symposium at Carnegie Mellon University, and received funding from the Three Rivers Community Fund as late as 2001, but was never released in a finished version.
In 2000, student interns including Volunteer Coordinator Darnell “WERM” Grisham attended “Listen Up!,” a production workshop on Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and a project of Learning Matters, which produces the annual Merrow report on higher education. The “Listen Up!” project file includes information on CM’s expanded curriculum on producing PSAs, and relating to the production of PSAs, including a 24 second short titled “Stop the Violence” and entered into a number of contests.
Files include budgets, programs, correspondence, press releases contest submissions and notices of award, related to the production and promotion of Community Eye projects. Included in some cases are copies of related grant reports; funding and materials documentary projects were often funneled through the Video Documentation Service. Where applicable, invoices created for the sale and distribution of video cassette copies follow in a separate file.
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19 |
"Community Eye” Film Synopses, 1990-2001
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20 |
“Community Eye” Flyers, 1990-1994
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21-23 |
“A Safe Place” Records, 1994-1996
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24 |
“Harambe!” Records, 1997
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25 |
“Things that Fit” Records, 1997-1998
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26 |
“Jonny Gammage: Enough is Enough!” Records, 1999-2001
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27-28 |
“Listen Up!” PSA Records, 2000
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Subseries 2. Images of a Culture, 1990-2002
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Scope and Content Notes: Images of a Culture presented African American filmmakers and their works at indoor and outdoor venues across Pittsburgh, mainly in city parks and neighborhoods identified as high risk for youth; files include flyers and programs, schedules, Film synopses, invoices, contracts and permits, attendance statistics and Program Evaluation forms, press releases and news clippings, memos and correspondence relating to the presentation of the public film and lecture series.
During the early years of the program, CM hosted filmmakers Melvin Van Peebles (1989), Gordon Parks, Jr. (1990, again in 2001), St. Clair Bourne (1990), Ayoka Chenzira (1991), and Wendell B. Harris, Jr. (1992).
As part of the mission of the “Images” program to coalesce the African-American community in Pittsburgh, CM held a combined sensitivity workshop/film screening called “A Family Affair” in 1993.
Filmmaker Haile Gerima spoke at the “Pittsburgh Premiere” of his film Sankofa (1993) on June 3, 1994 at Pittsburgh’s Fulton Theater, and Gerima returned once more in November, 1995.
As the program developed, focus shifted to annual film series “Images of a Culture” (1990-1997) and “Takin’ It to the Streets” (1996-2002), which encompassed “Phat Fridays,” “Cinema in the Parks” and collaborative screenings with Pittsburgh’s YouthPlaces program (2001-02).
A well-publicized 12-month program called “First Fridays” was launched in November, 2001; the closing event, a September, 2002 jazz documentaries screening in Mellon Park, marked Billy Jackson’s retirement from Community Media.
Films shown at the screenings came from CM’s in-house video library, or were rented from film distribution companies. Film Acquisition Records include Invoices and Screening Licenses, as well as some catalog material. Screening and Event Invoices relate mostly to CM’s expenditures and collection of fees for services provided. Attendance Evaluations include formal demographic analysis and reports, as well as handwritten evaluations of the various screenings authored by program attendees.
Other records are grouped chronologically by program.
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29 |
Community Media Video Inventory
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30 |
Film Acquisition Catalogs and Invoices, 1996-2002
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31 |
“A Family Affair” Workshop Records, 1993
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32 |
“Sankofa” Premiere Records, 1994-1995
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33 |
“Images of a Culture” Records, 1991-1997
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34 |
“Takin’ It to the Streets” Screening Invoices, 1996-2002
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35 |
“Takin’ It to the Streets” Attendance Evaluations, 1996-2002
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36-41 |
“Takin’ It to the Streets” Promotions and Correspondence, 1996-2002
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42-43 |
“First Fridays” Records, 2001-2002
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Subseries 3. Visions of the World: CM 10th Anniversary Celebration, 1998-2001
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Scope and Content Notes: Community Media’s 10th Anniversary saw an expansion in the number and variety of the organization’s projects, and was the occasion for “Visions of the World” (1999) and “Visions of the World: Uncensored” (2000), which included an African Film Festival and a Cuban Film Festival hosting native filmmaker Estella Bravo, as well as the “Living Legends” screening (2001), highlighting the careers of filmmaker Gordon Parks, Jr. and Harry Belafonte. The “Just Us” symposium on community relations with police included a preview of CM’s Gammage documentary. Documents of film screenings include press releases and news clippings, flyers, program schedules, related correspondence and invoices.
The “Living Legends” event included two components. Community Media hosted a belated 10th Anniversary celebration March 10, 2001 at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, at which filmmaker Gordon Parks, Jr. was presented with a lifetime achievement award by co-honoree Harry Belafonte. A screening series leading up the event showcased the two men’s work at community centers around Pittsburgh.
The Records of the 10th Anniversary Events Committee contain a 1999 schedule for the Parks/Belafonte event; the actual 2001 event was arranged by a special Events Committee. Committee records include meeting minutes, budget and personnel reports, schedules and correspondence relating to the event, as well as correspondence and background information for the artists. Contact lists compile volunteers, staff, and private and corporate sponsors. Event Invoices are records of corporate and private donations and ticket sales. Press releases and news clippings regarding the event include a print-out of Community Media’s Web site circa March, 2001. “Living Legends” screening records include volunteer and presentation schedules, event flyers and flyer distribution lists, attendee demographics and mailing lists. Demographics were collected and opinions solicited at each event. The 10th Anniversary Event program documents the evening of March 10, 2001 in detail; photographs are filed in Series VI., Media Recordings.
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Box 3
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10th Anniversary Planning Committee Records, 1998-2000
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“Just Us”: Community Symposium on Justice Records, 1998
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Visions of the World, 1999
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Visions: Uncensored, African film festival Records, 1999
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Visions: Uncensored, Cuban film festival Records, 2000
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6 |
“Living Legends” Event Planning Committee Records, 2000-2001
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7 |
“Living Legends” Sponsors and Volunteers Lists
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8 |
“Living Legends” Event Invoices, 1998-2001
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9 |
“Living Legends” Press Releases and News Clippings, 2001
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10 |
“Living Legends” Flyers, 2001
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11 |
“Living Legends” Screenings Schedule and Attendance Evaluations, 2001
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12 |
10th Anniversary Event “Living Legends” Program and Specs, 2001
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13 |
10th Anniversary Event Evaluations, 2001
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14 |
10th Anniversary Event Images, 2001
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Subseries 4. Video Documentation Services (VDS), 1996-2003
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Scope and Content Notes: VDS was contracted mainly by non-profit and civic agencies to produce PR films, and was conceived in 1996 as a way to deploy CM interns into the freelance videography working environment, and as a secondary source of income for the CM organization.
Program reports includes a client list, program evaluation and annual project history from 1997-99; a business brochure includes design specs. A sampling of workshop outlines detail the curriculum for student volunteers. News clippings include a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette job advertisement for “video internships,” as well as articles relating to potential clients’ projects.
Tape handling is documented by Video Dubbing Forms and Inventory and Distribution Invoices.
Correspondence includes background research and estimates for documentary projects, and includes significant material relating to the NAACP’s 88th Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, the ACLU production “You and the Police” (contemporary with Community Eye’s Gammage filming), and the Pittsburgh leg of the Olympic torch-bearer’s procession for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake, Utah.
Invoices include copies of checks and notes relating to material supplies, as well as detailing services rendered for titled and completed projects. Invoices record presence and activities of VDS interns and the collaborating/supervising professional videographers. Equipment invoices and brochures document the cameras and editing equipment used for video production.
Several individual client projects have been assigned a unique file based on a significant volume of germane supporting material, including contracts, correspondence, and shot lists. These clients include the Minority Enterprise Corporation’s Pillar Awards, and the City of Pittsburgh’s Weed and Seed and Neighborhood Needs programs. Materials are identified by title and dates covered.
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15 |
Program reports, 1997-1999
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16 |
Program brochure and specs
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17 |
Workshop outlines, 1996-1997
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18 |
VDS Press Releases and News Clippings, 1997-2000
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19 |
Videotape Handling Records, 1996-2002
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20 |
VDS Correspondence, 1996-2001
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21 |
Inventory and Distribution Invoices, 1996-2000
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22 |
VDS Project Invoices, 1996-2001
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23 |
Equipment Invoices, 1997-2001
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24 |
Equipment Specifications, 1997-2001
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25-29 |
Individual VDS Production Records, 2000-2003
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Series V. Grants, Donations, and Funding Requests, 1990-2002
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Scope and Content Notes: Much of CM’s administrative efforts went to securing funding, grants, and community partnerships, without which the operation would not have realized economic viability. Most of the material pertains to grants that were approved; this initiates a relationship process documented by correspondence, bank notes, and periodic progress reports.
The series encompasses grant proposals and funding requests, and records of private and corporate donations, correspondence and notes, application forms and progress reports, financial ledgers, and newspaper clippings, generated in the course of Community Media’s petitions for and maintenance of capital investments from grant-making organizations. Reports include unique demographic and line-item financial information and detailed analyses of CM’s community impact. Not all types of material are represented in all files.
Grants and Funding Requests Summary History identifies the various corporate and individual partners with which CM sustained relationships over a 9 year period. Records of corporate donations include an agreement with East Liberty Development, Inc., which served as a conduit for CM funding before CM’s non-profit incorporation, and documents securing CM’s offices in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Homewood Branch, which became permanent headquarters to CM’s operations during its most active period. Private donations records include letters of thanks from individuals appreciating CM’s programs, and letters of support from professional and non-profit associates, instrumental to securing grant monies.
In some cases, CM staffers were invited to serve on advisory panels or strategic planning boards to a number of arts organizations, notably the Multi-Cultural Arts Initiative and the National Black Programming Consortium. In such cases, meeting minutes are included in the respective files.
CM solicited viable interns as well as educational program funds in a collaborative venture with YouthWorks, Inc.; for records of YouthWorks grants, see Series IV. Internship Programs.
Files are arranged alphabetically by grant-making organization, in original order where applicable. In cases where the grant-making organization is titled with a personal name, arrangement is alphabetical to the first surname in the proper title of the organization. In cases where the grant-making organization is better-known by a partial form of its proper title, files are arranged alphabetically according to the more popular usage (exhaustive title in parentheses).
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30 |
Grants and Funding Requests Summary History, 1993-2001
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31 |
Private Donations Correspondence and Invoices, 1993-2002
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32 |
Corporate Donations Correspondence and Invoices, 1993–2002
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33 |
Initial Type Proposal, 1993-1996
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| Folder |
34 |
Letters of Support, 1990-2000
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| Folder |
35 |
Action Industries Charitable Foundation, 1996
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| Folder |
36-41 |
The Alcoa Foundation (Allegheny Works), 1991–2002
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| Folder |
42-45 |
Allegheny Regional Asset District (ARAD), 1995–2002
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Box 4
| Folder |
1-4 |
Allegheny Regional Asset District (ARAD), 1995–2002
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| Folder |
5 |
Blue Cross/Blue Shield, 1994
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| Folder |
6 |
Bridge Builders Foundation, 1998
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| Folder |
7 |
Buhl Foundation, 1994
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| Folder |
8-19 |
City of Pittsburgh) Community Development Block Grant, 1994–2002
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| Folder |
20 |
Consolidated Natural Gas Company Foundation, 1994
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| Folder |
21 |
Duquesne Light, 1994–2002
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| Folder |
22 |
Equitable Resources, 1994
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| Folder |
23 |
Maurice Falk Medical Fund, 1992-1996
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| Folder |
24 |
Funding Exchange, 1998-1999
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| Folder |
25 |
Grable Foundation, 1995–2001
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| Folder |
26-32 |
Heinz Endowments, 1996–2002
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| Folder |
33-34 |
Independent Television Service, 1999–2001
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| Folder |
35 |
The Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation, 1994
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| Folder |
36 |
The Earl Knudson Charitable Foundation, 1999
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| Folder |
37 |
Laurel Foundation, 1994-1997
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| Folder |
38-41 |
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, 1998–2001
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Box 5
| Folder |
1 |
Richard King Mellon Foundation (Mellon Bank Corporation), 1994–1997
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| Folder |
2 |
Mellon Financial Corporation Foundation, 2001–2002
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| Folder |
3 |
Miles, Inc. Foundation, 1994
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| Folder |
4-11 |
(The Pittsburgh Foundation—Howard Heinz Endowment) Multi-Cultural Arts Initiative, 1993–2001
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| Folder |
12 |
National Alliance For Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC), 1994
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| Folder |
13-14 |
National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), 1999–2001
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| Folder |
15-17 |
PACE (Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise), 1996–2000
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| Folder |
18 |
PCTV (Public Community Television Corporation) Programming Trust, 1992–1998
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| Folder |
19-28 |
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), 1990–2001
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| Folder |
29 |
People’s Gas Company, 1996
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| Folder |
30 |
Bank (J. B. Finley Charitable Trust), 1998
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| Folder |
31 |
ProArts (Western Pennsylvania Professionals for the Arts), 1999–2000
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| Folder |
32 |
Three Rivers Community Fund, 1999–2001
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| Folder |
33 |
WAVE (Work Achievement Values and Education), 1998–1999
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Series VI. Media Recordings, 1994-2002
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Scope and Content Notes: Series includes color and b/w photographic prints and negatives, audio and video tape cassettes. Formats include 3x5”, 4x6”, 5x7”, and 8x10” prints and 35mm photographic negatives; VHS, BetaSP, DVCAM124, and MiniDV video tape, and Scotch BX/90 135m audio tape. Video recordings and photographs relate to Series III Internship Programs, and Series IV Production Programs. The audio tape records a 2002 CM Board Meeting, chronicling Billy Jackson’s resignation from CM; A/V master tape relates to CM’s Community Eye and VDS programs, the latter recording the complete 10th Anniversary Living Legends Achievement Awards Ceremony in March, 2001. A/V clips and programs are preceded by “tone and code” and, in some cases, countdowns featuring a unique Community Media productions logo.
[Community Media Demo Reel (includes clips of “Community Eye” (1990), J. Henry Redwood play “Layers” (1991), Rob Penny play “Clean Drums” (1993-94), “A Safe Place”(1996), “Harambe!” (1997), August Wilson play “Things That Fit” (1998, based on 1992 Pittsburgh Theatre Production). Followed by edited clips from “A Safe Place” (CM, 1996); “Things That Fit” (CM, 1998); “Didn’t We Ramble On” (Nommo Productions); extended cut of “Enough is Enough” (working title, “Jonny Gammage: Enough is ENOUGH!”)]
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Section: Photographs
Box 6
| Folder |
1 |
"A Safe Place" crew (color, 5x7" and 8x10" prints, and 35mm slides), 1994-1995
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| Folder |
2 |
Homestead (Pittsburgh, Pa.) (color 3x5” prints and negatives), 1995
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| Folder |
3 |
VDS (b/w, 5x7” prints and color, 3x5” and 4x6” prints, and negatives), 1996
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| Folder |
4 |
“Things That Fit: Affirmation of the Blues” (color, 4x6” and 5x7” prints and negatives), March 16, 1998
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| Folder |
5 |
“Takin’ It to the Streets” (color 4x6” prints and negatives), 1997
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| Folder |
6 |
VDS interns (color, 3x5”and 4x6” prints), 1998
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| Folder |
7 |
Takin’ It to the Streets” (color, 3x5” prints and negatives), 1999
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| Folder |
8 |
VDS interns (color, 3x5” prints and negatives), 1999-2000
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| Folder |
9 |
Community Eye shoots (color, 4x6” prints), 2000
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| Folder |
10 |
VDS interns (color, 3x5” prints and negatives), 2000
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| Folder |
11 |
Spoken Hand, Advertising Resources (b/w, 8x10” print), 2001
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| Folder |
12 |
Jackson, Billy, headshot (b/w, 5x7” print), 2000
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| Folder |
13 |
Belafonte, Harry, autographed headshot (b/w, 8x10” print), 2001
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| Folder |
14 |
Parks, Gordon, Jr., autographed headshot (b/w, 5x7” print), 2001
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| Folder |
15 |
10th Anniversary Living Legends Awards, honoree statuettes (color, 3x5” prints), 2001
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| Folder |
16-21 |
10th Anniversary Living Legends Awards (color, 4x6” prints and negatives), March 10, 2001
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Section: Audio
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“CM Board Meeting” (Scotch BX/90), May 7, 2002
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Section: VHS
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Community Eye: “YouthWorks,” VHS (28 min.), November 19, 1999
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VDS: “John Cephas and Phil Wiggins, African-American Music Institute,” Pittsburgh, PA, sponsored by Calliope Folk Music Society (37 min., VHS), 2000
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VDS: “Buffalo Soldiers,” History Re-enactment at Homewood Library, Pittsburgh, PA (21 min., VHS), February 12, 2000
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VDS: Workshop #1: Job Readiness Workshop with David Akbar (VHS), July 17, 2000
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VDS: Workshop #2: Camera Workshop with Aaron Sledge, KDKA (VHS), July 17, 2000
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VDS: Workshop #3: Sound Workshop with Waine Gaines, WQED (VHS), July 19, 2000
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VDS: Workshop #4: Editing Workshop with Darnell “W.E.R.M.” Grisham, CM (VHS), July 20, 2000
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Section: Betacam SP (30 min)
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VDS and Community Eye working tapes: #1 Community Media Demo Reel (includes clips of “Community Eye” (1990), J. Henry Redwood play “Layers” (1991), Rob Penny play “Clean Drums” (1993-94), “A Safe Place”(1996), “Harambe!” (1997), August Wilson play “Things That Fit” (1998, based on 1992 Pittsburgh Theatre Production). Followed by edited clips from “A Safe Place” (CM, 1996); “Things That Fit” (CM, 1998); “Didn’t We Ramble On” (Nommo Productions); extended cut of “Enough is Enough” (working title, “Jonny Gammage: Enough is ENOUGH!”) (CM, 1999, 00:30:00, Betacam SP)
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VDS and Community Eye working tapes: #2 Community Media Intern VDS Trailer (for Parks & Belafonte), “Tonk” (2001, 00:03:42); “Video Documentation Service” (2001, 00:00:30); YouthArtWorks video documentary clip (2001, 00:00:30); “Jonny Gammage: Enough is ENOUGH!” outtakes (3/1/2001, 00:05:00, Betacam SP)
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VDS and Community Eye working tapes: #3 Jonny Gammage TRT (2001, 00:06:53) and Harry Belafonte documentary (2001, 00:05:30), (3/6/2001, 00:13:00, Betacam SP)
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|
|
Community Eye: “Things That Fit” (00:30:00 , Betacam SP), 1998
|
|
|
|
Community Eye: “Not Enough Evidence” (working title of “Jonny Gammage: Enough is ENOUGH!”) (MPG Productions, 1999, 00:06:00) (Note: “Tape contains 2 different versions of material”) (00:12:00, Betacam SP), 1999
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|
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Community Eye: “Parent Monitoring of Television” (00:01:00) (PSA - Desensitizing Children) (Note: “three copies”) (CM, 00:03:00, Betacam SP), March 31, 2000
|
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|
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VDS: “The DARE2XL After-School Program: A Partnership in Action” (CM, 00:11:46, Betacam SP), January 29, 2000
|
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Section: Sony DVCam, 124
|
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VDS: A Tribute to Gordon Parks, Carnegie Music Hall, Tape 1-2 (Sony DVCam, 124), March 10, 2001
|
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|
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VDS: AAMI/Cephas & Wiggins (40 sec.), 1/14/00 and Homer S. Brown Awards #1 (Sony DVCam, 124, 57 min.), January 17, 2000
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|
|
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VDS: Day of Honors, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial (Sony DVCam, 124), April 9, 2000
|
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Section: Panasonic MiniDV (Mini Digital Video Cassette), 120 ME and 63 ME
|
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CM’s Trailer and footage (63 ME)
|
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|
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AA Unity Parade, Community Media (63 ME)
|
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|
|
Day w/Honor, March 24, 2000; Rubin "Hurricane" Carter Rap March 25, 2000 March 2000
|
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|
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Black Radical Congress, (63 ME), July 24, 2000?
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Wayne Gaines w/ Sound Workshop (63 ME), July 19, 2000
|
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|
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Community Media’s Harry Belafonte & Gordon Parks Tribute, MiniDV #1, March 10, 2001
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Community Media’s Harry Belafonte & Gordon Parks Tribute, MiniDV #2, March 10, 2001
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Buffalo Soldiers Reenactment at Homewood Library (120 ME), Febraury 12, 2000
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YouthWorks Workshop (Edit) (120 ME). July 20, 2000
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YouthWorks Workshops 1 (Brother David Akbar) (120 ME), July 17, 2000
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YouthWorks Workshops, Camera Workshop (Aaron Sledge/KDKA-TV) (120 ME), July 17, 2000
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Writing Workshop (120 ME) July 20, 2000
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