THE ALL-AMERICAN NEWS

You're watching something few people got to see during WWII -- a special African American newsreel made by and for African Americans. The story behind this begins in November 1942 when producer E.M. Glucksman founded All American News of Chicago, Illinois. The company began releasing newsreels showcasing the lives of America's African Americans, including showing their contributions to the WWII war effort. The newsreels were shown only in African American movie theaters (and did not get shown in all of them -- the nation had 451 segregated theaters in 1943, and these newsreels were shown in 365 of them) . This particular newsreel of "The All-American News" dates to 1943 and covers African Americans in the work force, a ceramics class, an interview with F.D.R.’s valet, a waving bear, a supply drop for soldiers on Nettuno Beach in Italy and physical fitness at Tuskegee University. W.E.B. Du Bois and the vaudeville duo Butterbeans and Susie make appearances. Intro "All-American News" with Charles Wilson’s head appearing in an illustration of an eye (00:06). A group of men sit around a table with a microphone on it that says WHAS. This is a station in Kentucky and stands for "Wonderful Homes of American Stock." They are discussing vocational problems of African Americans on the radio (00:28). The narrator introduces the men as W.E.B. Du Bois, what sounds like J.F. Kane of a plant turning out army work, C.D. Rifkin of The Manpower Commission and Frederic Muraro. Title card reads "Ceramics A Fine Art- Students Make Lowly Mud A Thing of Beauty." A man mixes clay in a basin. The ceramics instructor kneads the clay in front of his students. Three girls in the class sorting clay (1:36). A student throws a vase on a pottery wheel. Another student smooth coils of clay on top of a vase to make it taller. A girl in a floral dress kicks her pottery wheel to keep it spinning, her teacher uses a wire to remove her finished vase (1:56). She opens the kiln and pulls her finished vase. She brushes a detailed sculpture of an angel with no head (2:18). A man wearing a mask weighs powder on a scale. The students stand behind their finished sculptures on a table (2:27). Title card "A Gentleman’s Gentleman Speaks- Valet To F.D.R. Tells of Historic Journeys." Arthur Prettyman sits in uniform next to his wife. She shows off a metal bell Arthur brought her from Cairo (3:46). Title card reads "Meet a Bear That’s Honey!- "Bye-Bye, Baby" Says The Baby Bear In Memphis Zoo." A bear sits in his enclosure and waves to a crowd of mostly African American children (4:06). They wave back and throw peanuts. Close ups of the smiling children, they are very well dressed in coats and hats (4:29). Title card reads ‘The Army In Italy- Unload Supplies at Famed Nettuno Beach." A crane drops a net of supplies (4:47). Soldiers grab the supplies with tanks in the background. They continue carrying boxes of food and ammunition on their shoulders (5:19). Title card reads "Girls Gain Sound Bodies- Tuskegee Offers Fine Physical Fitness Couse." A line of girls walks towards the camera in different athletic looks (5:57). A woman jumps over low hurdles, another woman practices high jumps. A group of women practice interpretative dancing in leotards, another larger group does aerobic exercises in unison (6:30). Title card reads "Butterbeans and Susie Want to Know- Have You heard This One?" The vaudeville duo tell a joke (7:21). William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Butterbeans and Susie were an American comedy duo comprising Jodie Edwards and Susie Edwards. They married in 1917, and performed together until the early 1960s.

Transcription

[Music] all american news brings to our people's contributions to america and freedom [Music] vocational problems of negroes is being discussed on the air dr b w doyle dean of municipal negro college j.f kane president of a plan turning out army work c d rifkin of the war manpower commission and frederick marrero a war worker agreed that as exemplified in louisville negros and whites work amicably together that opportunities are being more and more equalized and that after the war there will be little or no discrimination against the mixing of races in all industry ceramics or flame modeling is a very old art but it is only within the last few years that it has really come into its own in our part of the world now universities teaching here university students do great things with modern walking the clay having been mixed and put through a seed is smooth the instructor needs it just like dough for it cannot have lump these girls are sorting and classifying various kinds of clay for various processes from the dark clouds we have been looking at these clever students fashion beautiful vases and other objects of art which are both useful and a joy to behold this girl is working a foot length the hand work done smooth out the seat by machine to ensure accurate symmetry based thoroughly in this kiln the vases are finished ready for use admiring her handle work and well she made a more ambitious work of art gets finishing touches the careful work of weighing the glazing compound here are some of the beautiful things that students have turned out mr buryman as a ballet to president roosevelt we understand you accompanied him on a number of the historic trips we've been reading about will you tell us something about your experiences yes i was on the trip the president met the prime minister churchill and the atlantic charter was formally also trip to casa blanca as well as a trip to cairo and terror and several months ago mr predicament did you see any of the world famous figures at these yes it was my good fortune to see marshall starling the generalissimo and madame chiang kai-shek the rulers of turkey persia and several other notables mr freddieman how do you feel about your husband making these famous trips i envy my husband very much but he remembers me every place that it's been this large bell brought from cairo and also these little ones [Music] folks meet mike the waving and spreading his fellow in memphis and all points out mike is never lonely he's beautiful but not dumb no mike's no jump he won't wave unless he gets peanuts he's as used to the camera as a hollywood sweater girl because he's been photographed lots of times naturally mike is the envy of all the other bears mike is the kid's delight he may be a bear now but he'll probably grow up to be a wolf you have been reading a lot about the activities at natuno beachhead in italy here are behind the line activities there had just been an enemy air raid concentrated largely upon supply ships in the harbor but fortunately most of our supplies had been landed a protecting smoke screen was thrown up behind allied ships and anti-aircraft guns drove off the nazis thus our precious food munitions and other essentials are carried to shelter at least for the moment to safety these u.s army signal corps pictures reveal there is never a dull moment for if our boys aren't under fire they are busy with the endless job of maintaining the supply line the lifeline which spells the difference between defeat and victory physical education is compulsory of tuskegee where the adage concerning a sound mind and a sound body is thoroughly adhered to freshmen and sophomores must take five hours of this physical fitness training every week while juniors and seniors are required to take three hours a week [Music] willian purifoy no hurdles chance alice coachman a fresh lillian is national high jump champion also 50 meter champion meet alice an all-american track star 700 girls take part in these math exercises tuskegee has turned out many champs aside from lillian purify and alice coachman such splendid training ensures poise symmetry good health as well as good endure since 1928 tuskegee has held an annual track and field meet for girls from southern colleges thus encouraging athletics for women throughout the southland the success of tuskegee co-eds and competitive athletics games and in precision exercises as well as interpretive dancing has brought an anti-spain to the illustrious institutions two years ago i had six boyfriends and a yacht last year i had one boyfriend and a rowboat how you doing this year [Music] waterways you

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