The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Abena Brown



Overview of the Item

Repository: The HistoryMakers
1900 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60616
(312) 674-1900
info@thehistorymakers.com
http://www.thehistorymakers.com
Interviewer: Julieanna Richardson
Videographer: Scott Stearns
Title:Video Oral History Interview with Abena Brown
Dates:February 01, 2000
Abstract: (ABSTRACT)
Quantity: 3 Betacam SP videocassettes, 1 half-Hollinger box containing (NUMBER) folders of accompanying materials.
Identification: A2000.009
Language: The interviews and records are in English

Biographical Note

Abena Joan Brown is a rare individual who is not only passionate about the creative arts, but also shrewd enough to see the need for community organization. Over the years, Abena Joan Brown has distinguished herself as a masterful businesswoman as well as an artist. With over one hundred-fifty professional theater productions to her credit, in addition to a Master's degree in Community Organization and Management from the University of Chicago, Abena Joan Brown was the driving force behind the 1971 creation of the ETA Creative Arts Foundation, the only African American full service cultural arts collective in Chicago and the nation.

Her many honors include an Award of Merit from the Black Theater Alliance, The Paul Robeson Award from the Chicago African American Arts Alliance, the Governor's Award in the Arts and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Joseph Jefferson Committee. Dollars and Sense Magazine has also cited Abena Joan Brown as one of America's Top Business and Professional Women. She was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame of Chicago in 1991. Always looking towards the future, Abena Joan Brown is committed to building ETA Creative Arts Foundation.

Biographical Note by The HistoryMakers®

Scope and Contents

This life oral history interview with Abena Brown was conducted by Julieanna Richardson on 2000-02-01 in ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Inc., 7558 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL and is recorded on 3 30-minute Betacam SP videocassettes. Access copies exist on Betacam SP, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1. The interview contains information on (COMPLETE ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION OF INTERVIEW). Accompanying materials in the collection include Abena Brown's correspondence with The HistoryMakers® related to the interview; a copy of the signed release form and the production report; the biographical information used by the interviewer to prepare for the interview (DETAILS); paper copies of the interview transcripts, 3 1/2" floppy disks with electronic copies of the transcripts; selected quotes for video clips; photocopies of photographs captured on video; XML files with metadata created in editing and cataloguing the interview for The HistoryMakers Digital Video Library; and paper copies of these XML files.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Access to paper records is restricted. Other restrictions may be applied on a case-by-case basis.

Restrictions on Use

All use of materials must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers® and appropriate credit must be given. All use credits must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers®. Copyright is held by The HistoryMakers®.

Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access terms.
Contributors:
Brown, Abena
Richardson, Julieanna
Stearns, Scott
Persons:
(PERSONS)
Corporate Bodies:
(CORPORATE BODIES)
Family Names:
Brown
Places:
(PLACES)
Subjects:
(SUBJECTS)
Document Types:
Video oral history interview
Titles:
The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Abena Brown

Related Material

Accompanying materials: Accompanying materials are filed in (NUMBER) folders in a half-Hollinger box and shelved at The HistoryMakers® Archives and Collection Library by accession number, separately from the videos.

Administrative Information

Location of Originals

Betacam, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1 access copies are held for in-house use at The HistoryMakers®; Betacam SP, VHS and DVD playback hardware is provided for in-house viewing of the access copies; MPEG-1 copies are searchable and viewable via a digital video database.

Preferred Citation

The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Abena Brown, February 01, 2000. The HistoryMakers® African American Video Oral History Collection, 1900 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois.

Detailed Description/Tape Listings

Video Oral History Interview with Abena Brown, Tape 1, February 01, 2000, TRT: 00:30:28:06.

Abena Brown talks about her neighborhood and her cultural awareness while growing up on the South Side of Chicago. She then recalls why she was sent to a Catholic boarding school after her mother discovered she was being truant. Brown then talks about her mother's strong personality and their relationship during her teenage years. She later talks about her early interest in dance and the arts, and shares her story about meeting Paul Robeson. Abena Brown recalls the social clubs of her teens and discusses their importance in the socialization of young men and women. She then reflects on her experience as an undergraduate in college and details her first encounter with racial discrimination while there. Lastly, she discusses her decision to attend the University of Chicago for her graduate study.


Video Oral History Interview with Abena Brown, Tape 2, February 01, 2000, TRT: 00:52:42:17.

Abena Brown talks about her experiences at the University of Chicago and what she learned there. She then recalls her early acting experiences and her local participation in the Civil Rights Movement. Brown then talks about the origins of the ETA Creative Arts Foundation and the people who helped her in its early development stages. She then talks about the similarities between New York and Chicago theater in relation to the Black Arts Movement, and explains why she prefers Chicago's theater scene. Brown also discusses the current financial state of black theater companies, especially the older established companies on the East Coast. She then talks about the economic impact of the age demographic on the overall theater scene. Abena Brown then shares the story of how author Dempsey Travis helped her secure ETA's present home on the South Side. Lastly she talks about her staff and the success stories of actors who as children attended ETA's programs.


Video Oral History Interview with Abena Brown, Tape 3, February 01, 2000, TRT: 00:21:35:14.

Abena Brown details extensively the future plans of the ETA Creative Arts Foundation. She then talks about her legacy and the hope that ETA will live on well after she is gone. Brown shares the story of how she made her first trip to Africa in 1970, and how she no longer questions her identity after visiting there. Lastly, Abena Brown talks about her mother's death, her purpose in life, and the influence the African peoples have on the arts, globally.