An introductory video for the Dallas-Fort Worth Black Living Legends digital exhibit starring Curtis King, Founder and President of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters.

Video recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters presenting the film "Documentary #1." The video alternates between two anchors explaining the history of the JBBAL and various people reciting spoken word poetry on a blue background while singing and dancing.

Interview with Ignaz Gorischek, a fashion consultant from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Gorischek discusses his forty years of work in the department store industry, specifically in luxury retail, opening stores and putting on exhibits with Neiman Marcus, leaving Neiman's to work at a design firm in Dallas, and working with students at the University of North Texas.

An oral history with actor and playwright Michael Turner Cline who was an eyewitness to the 1979 Village Station raid in Dallas. Other topics discussed include Cline's upbringing in Highland Park, his family members, and his entertainment career in New York City and Los Angeles. Dr. Wesley Phelps provides background information on anti-gay discrimination in Dallas and Fort Worth. The interview was recorded with Zoom teleconferencing software.

Video recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters. The video is of a concert that celebrates the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Special guests include Jennifer Holiday and Ester Rahul.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their 14-Hour Film Feast: A Closeup On Beah Richards - Film Talk with Filmmaker Lisa Gay Hamilton, held at the Clarence Muse Café Theatre in Dallas, TX. The audio starts with the showing of the film, followed by discussion over the content.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters. The audio is recorded from a video of the 25th Annual Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement Concert that celebrates the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The concert features musical performances and spoken word poetry.

Video recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their Army Visit rehearsals on June 27. The video features the dancers and singers rehearsing for their performance and features behind the scenes footage of the crew. A choreographer is seen directing performers through their rehearsal with large painted trees and stools. The performance was used to showcase the talents of young people in the Dallas area for a professional audience. This is tape number five of the series.

Video recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their Army Visit rehearsals on June 26. The video features the dancers and singers rehearsing for their performance and features behind the scenes footage of the crew. Curtis King, TBAAL founder and president, is seen directing performers through their rehearsal are they maneuver through the auditorium. The performance was used to showcase the talents of young people in the Dallas area for a professional audience. This is tape number four of the series.

Video recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their Army Visit rehearsals on June 27. The video features the orchestra and choir rehearsing for their performance and features behind the scenes footage of the crew. Curtis King, TBAAL founder and president, is seen helping orchestra conductors set up the stage and introduces the orchestra. The performance was used to showcase the talents of young people in the Dallas area for a professional audience. This is tape number six of the series.

Video recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their Army Visit rehearsals on June 27. The video features young performers dancing, singing, and reciting spoken word poetry during a performance rehearsal and features behind the scenes footage of the crew. Curtis King, TBAAL founder and president, is seen directing performers after their rehearsal. The video also features army members posing with the students and talking about how much the performance meant to them. The performance was used to showcase the talents of young people in the Dallas area for a professional audience.

Video recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their Army Visit rehearsals on June 27. The video features young performers dancing, singing, and reciting spoken word poetry during a performance rehearsal and features behind the scenes footage of the crew. Curtis King, TBAAL founder and president, is seen directing performers through their rehearsal. The video also features an interview with service members who were invited to attend the show. The performance was used to showcase the talents of young people in the Dallas area for a professional audience. This is tape number two of the series.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their "Believe" Concert held on February 22-23, 2013 as part of the PYA Series. The concert featured numerous gospel performances accompanied by an organ, drums and choir.

Video from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded. The video is a recording of "Bethune," a one-woman show on the life of Mary McLeod Bethune ft. Esther Rolle, held from July 12 - 14, 2014 at the Burton Main Theater at 8:00 pm.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their "Black Thinkers: From Table to Action - Cultural Discourse" event. The event feature a roundtable discussion about the Bible while the participants eat dinner. Included amongst the speakers is featured artist John Paul Batiste. This is the first of two audios.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their "Black Thinkers: From Table to Action - Cultural Discourse" event. The event feature a roundtable discussion about the Bible while the participants eat dinner. Included amongst the speakers is featured artist John Paul Batiste. This is the second of two audios.

Video from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their Black Women's Artist Conference, parts 1 - 6. The video features a panel of women talking about their experiences with dancing and performing during segregation. The panel explores how dance is connected to culture. The featured speakers are: Dr. Zelma George, Dr. Iba Jessie, Elizabeth Caplet, Dr. Pearl Primus, Dr. Glory Mann Scott, Dr. Jacqueline Bontemps, and Sonia Sanchez.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters of a city council meeting held on September 13. The audio begins with a prayer for patience. After, the Dallas mayor suggests moving to a different chamber to accommodate for the large number of citizen speakers in the audience and waiting outside to be seated. The discussion devolves into an argument due to a large majority of council members and audience members wanting to remain seated. Once moved, guest speakers walk up one by one to give their opinions over a tax increase on the Dallas citizens for renovations to cultural institutions such as the Dallas Convention Center and stadiums.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their "Don't be Deceived There's Still Some Good Men Left", dress performance series. The audio features numerous dance performances with audience's reactions.

Video from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters showing guests and performers at a symphony leaving the venue and interacting with each other on their way out.

Audio recording from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters. The audio is the first of two recordings of the Two Sisters in Gospel concert, hosted at the Clarence Muse Café Theatre in Dallas, TX. The two featured artists were Myrna Summer and Sara Jordan Powell, among other performers.

Audio from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters recorded during their Two Sisters in Gospel Concert held at the Clarence Muse Café Theatre in Dallas, TX on May 7, 2007. The concert features gospel performances from featured artists Myrna Summer and Sara Jordan Powell, and a choir. The audio is the second tape in the series.

Video of 1939 Walter Florell hat, exhibition text read: As dynamic accessories, hats often allow designers and wearers to stretch the edges of traditional expression. This playfully oversized hat draws inspiration from the designer’s heritage, recalling the Tyrolean hats worn as part of German tradition and at Oktoberfest celebrations. Typically worn by men, this piece was marketed as a women’s accessory, the whimsical scale and dramatic feather shifting the design from folk to fashion and from masculine to feminine. Vanessa Lopez (American) "Old Fashioned" hat, with artist statement: Artist statement Chicago is the birthplace of not only Bes-Ben millinery but also the hometown of a 1940s favorite cocktail, the Old-Fashioned! This turban-style bandeau hat pays homage to both Windy City icons. Much like a proper Old-Fashioned cocktail, this hat would not be complete without its garnish. To mirror the use of unconventional materials in many Bes-Ben designs, a beaded ribbon of dehydrated orange skin, an artificial cherry, and a pheasant feather cocktail pick accent the hat, complete the aesthetic of the Old-Fashioned cocktail. Cheers to two Chicago legends! In background, late 1930s Hattie Carnegie design, exhibition text read: The relationship between feathers and hats has been historically fraught. In the …

Video of Allison Lyndes's hat “Roll for Initiative," the first prize winner for the Milliners Guild exhibition. Artist statement read: A whimsical, modern silhouette features motifs drawn from both the game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and game-themed Bes-Ben hats. To 'Roll For Initiative' in D&D determines players’ turn order—the higher number you roll, the more courageous your character is in joining in the action. The central button base evokes a dragon’s hoard, encrusted with several hundred beads and 140 hand-drilled polyhedral gaming dice individually stitched to the hat. A hand-painted miniature hero figurine poses as if challenging the dragon. Bes-Ben was also a storyteller in hats, and I was inspired to combine the exuberance of both D&D and his work in my design.