[This article is accompanied by photographs. A link to the Image Gallery is at the end of the article]
When it was happening, little did we know how priceless the memories would be when the times were gone. Today's generation can benefit from access to the evidence of former times. It represents no less than the foundation of all they are and all they can be. Perhaps others can be inspired by this journal to mine their own treasures by culling their personal and family archives, collections and memorabilia. It requires diligent research even to tell one's own story accurately. It may also involve interaction with others to help jostle one's memories into new awareness.

For over thirty years I have been collecting memories in the form of photographs, audiotape and to a lesser extent videotape. I am presently cataloging and annotating this information so that it can be packaged and shared with the public. Each photograph has a related story that highlights the times and the culture. In many instances there is audiotape that goes with the photographs. In regard to the videotapes, the raw footage of the complete example can be edited for programming.

I have identified others who have similar archives and encouraged them to begin to organize their information in the event that we can find a producer interested in publishing this type of material. I have also identified highly skilled technical people who could be engaged in the packaging, duplication and preservation of this material.

As the millennium approaches, it is important for African-Americans to realize how much has been accomplished in the last century. Not only is the musical art form, jazz and its related music America's greatest cultural gift to the world, it is the most significant invention of the African-American culture. When a people's history is written by someone else, it becomes precisely that... his story. More evidence needs to come forth to fill the libraries and archives of the world about the African-American's rich cultural inventions despite the gargantuan efforts of many historians, scientists and writers throughout the past 400 years to portray the contrary.

The gold rush of the 19^th century resulted in a rich culture developing in the western United States. The discovery of oil in the Middle-East enabled formerly poor nomadic people to become a force among the world's most affluent, influential and respected people. Buried treasure once discovered and claimed has a way of doing that. The present proposal hopes to stimulate a new kind of gold rush. In 1987 the United States Congress (HCR 57) designated the musical art form known as jazz an American Treasure. By and large this pivotal event seems to be lost on the African-American population. It is high time we realized that "there is gold in them there" attics and scrapbooks.

This proposal invites producers sympathetic with its purpose to mobilize resources toward the deployment and preservation of the evidence and remnants of a dying culture now before it is too late. Every time a cultural source person dies without telling their story, it is like a library burning down. If we don't learn the value of our own accomplishments, by the year 2100 Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and Joe Louis will be white and no one will be alive that can dispute it. This is evidenced by the fact that the majority of African-Americans today believe that Dixieland music is a white invention. Dixieland jazz festivals are among the largest and oldest in America. The Sacramento Jazz Jubilee for example just celebrated its 28^th year with a 5-day festival that included 117 bands presenting 979 concerts in over 50 venues. Well over 150,000 people attend the festival and there has not been a serious incident in its entire history. Last year only 4 professional musicians were African-American and fewer than 1% of the attendees were African-American. Over 90% of the music played was of African-American origin.

History is being made daily but once it is gone, undocumented, it is gone forever. You cannot take the same picture twice nor can 100 photographers shooting the same object get the same picture. Go out into your community and photograph that house or building that has meaning to your life. Date the photograph and keep a record of its meaning. Interview that parent or grandparent. Record their voice or image on audio or videotape. Generations to come throughout the world will thank you for it.
 

The following are some examples from my own collection of several thousand artifacts:

Click Here to go to the Image Gallery

Image 1: Dizzy Gillespie at Pittsburgh's 3 Rivers Arts Festival - 1983
(Copyright © 1983, 1999 by Nelson E. Harrison)

Image 2: Billy Eckstine or Bust!
(Copyright © 1989, 1999 by Nelson E. Harrison)

Image 3: The Temptations Reunion - 1982, Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
(Copyright © 1982 by Nelson E. Harrison)

Image 4: Eddie Kendricks, The Temptations Reunion - 1982, Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
(Copyright © 1982, 1999 by Nelson E. Harrison)