Collection ID: Special Collection ITS
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Black Film Center/Archive
Abstract:
Papers and related material documenting the In Touch with the Spirit conference, held on July 9-12, 1992 in Indianapolis, IN.
Extent:
3 Boxes
Language:
Materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[item], In Touch with the Spirit Collection, Special Collection ITS, Black Film Center & Archive, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

In Touch with the Spirit: Black Religious and Musical Expression in American Cinema was a BFCA conference held on July 9-12, 1992 in Indianapolis, IN. The conference took place in conjunction with the Indiana Black Expo (IBE) and was integrated into IBE on-site activities located at the Indianapolis Convention Center. Events consisted of lectures, panel discussions, and film screenings. The keynote lecture was presented by Donald Bogle. Films screened include Sarafina! (1992) (premiere screening), Let the Church Say Amen! (1972), Cabin in the Sky (1943), Say Amen, Somebody (1982), Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (1992), Blood of Jesus (1941), House Party (1990), Praise House (1991), and Bahia: Africa in the Americas (1988).

Panel discussions were divided into six sessions: Role of Religion in the Community--History and Images, Ethnographic Filmmaking and Black Religious Music in Context, The Sacred/Secular Dilemma in Black Music and Film, Documentary Filmmaker's Panel--Aesthetics and Filmmaking, Black Musical Expression: Contemporary Hollywood and Independent Film, and The Power of the Spirit: Politics, Film, and Oppression.

In Touch with the Spirit: Black Religious and Musical Expression in American Cinema was organized to examine the image and address the impact of black religious and musical expression as depicted in American cinema. Holding the conference at the Indiana Black Expo, "the largest and most progressive African American celebration" in the United States, allowed the non-academic community to observe and participate in an in-depth conversation on the topic. Over 1,000 people attended In Touch with the Spirit to see prominent scholars and filmmakers explore how the film industry impacts perceptions of trends, groups, and individuals.

Scope and Content:

The collection is divided into four series: Conference Materials, Correspondence, materials related to the monograph In Touch with the Spirit: Black Religious and Musical Expression in American Cinema, and Publicity materials.

Conference Materials contain general materials related to the planning and execution of the conference itself. It includes an evaluation report compiled from forms taken at the conference. Correspondence is divided topically. It contains solicitation letters and grant proposals from the BFCA to funders, acceptance letters, calls for papers, presentation abstracts, and other correspondence. The Monograph series includes a copy of the monograph itself, as well as papers detailing it's creation. Publicity consists of clippings or photocopies of clippings as they appeared in journals, newspapers and other serial publications.

Acquisition information:
The BFCA sponsored the In Touch with the Spirit conference. The conference monograph In Touch with the Spirit: Black Religious and Musical Expression in American Cinema was published in 1994. Materials associated with the two have been held continuously by the BFCA.
Processing information:

Processed by Gabriel J. Gardner.

Completed in December 2010.

General note:

In 2022, the Black Film Center/Archive (BFC/A) transitioned to its current name, the Black Film Center & Archive (BFCA). This finding aid was created under the organizational name Black Film Center/Archive. Upon this organizational name change, all previous references to the BFC/A were updated in this finding aid to match the current name, Black Film Center & Archive.

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

This collection is open for research.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

Photocopying permitted only with permission of the Archivist.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[item], In Touch with the Spirit Collection, Special Collection ITS, Black Film Center & Archive, Indiana University, Bloomington.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library, Room 044
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
812-855-6041
bfca@indiana.edu