Browser Issue

Due to a widespread issue with the latest version of the Chrome browser, we advise you to use an alternative browser to view the University Libraries Ares streaming reserves.

An unrolled film spool.
Back to All Events
Zoom

​Preserving the Interviews with African American Athletes in William Miles’ Black Champions (1986)

William Miles’ 1986 three-part TV program Black Champions is a classic of the sports documentary genre, partially for its interviews with African American athletes, and American heroes, including Althea Gibson, Curt Flood, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilma Rudolph. While the original series is, unfortunately, difficult to see, the Washington University Libraries have preserved the full-length versions of the 32 interviews from the series and made them accessible online, thanks to a grant from the National Historic Publications & Records Commission.

This event will discuss the process of conserving and digitizing these 34-year-old film reels, play a variety of clips from the interviews, and examine the documentary work of Miles and the importance of Black Champions.

Free and open to all, pre-registration required.