| Dates: | Predominant dates, 2005; Inclusive dates, 1915-2010 |
| Size: | 9 linear feet |
| Repository: | Chicago Public Library, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research collection of Afro-American History and Literature, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60628 |
| Collection Number: | 2005/04 |
| Provenance: | Collection donated by Barbara E. Allen, 2005. |
| Access: | No restrictions |
| Citation: | When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is: Barbara E. Allen Papers [Box #, Folder #], Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature, Chicago Public Library. |
| Processed by: | Traci Parker, Mapping the Stacks, University of Chicago |
| Supervised by: | Michael Flug, Senior Archivist |
Biographical Note
Barbara E. Allen directed, produced, edited and co-wrote the 2005 Emmy-winning documentary Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender . The film was hosted by Harry J. Lennix and featured such notables as Earl Calloway, Robert Sengstacke and then-Senator Barack Obama. It celebrates the centennial of the Chicago Defender and skillfully chronicles the pivotal role this groundbreaking newspaper played in African American life not only in Chicago but throughout the United States during the 20th century. Beginning with the story of Robert Abbott, the Chicago Defender’s founder and editor, Paper Trail examines the newspaper’s tremendous influence on the Great Migration and the Civil Rights Movement—a period when its readership reached its height. The film also traces the loss of readers beginning in the 1960s as the Civil Rights Movement grew more militant and the Defender held a relatively conservative position on black politics and issues. It concludes with the paper’s present goal of regaining its position as the No. 1 African American newspaper.
A graduate of Columbia College, Allen began her career as a film editor for WNBC-TV in New York. She later moved to NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV in Chicago and then to the Chicago Public Broadcasting Station, WTTW, as engineer/editor/producer. In addition to producing the three-time Emmy Award-winning documentary Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender , Allen produced the critically acclaimed DuSable to Obama: Chicago’s Black Metropolis in 2010, Morning Due in 2007 (a film she not only produced but directed; it was screened at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival, and it won the Jury Prize for Best Film at the 2008 Langston Hughes Festival) and the 2006 Emmy-nominated documentary Standing on Common Ground: My Spring Break in New Orleans with her son Evan Allen Gessesse.
Allen also founded and serves as executive director of Middle Passage Productions Inc., a nonprofit media cooperative that promotes and produces multicultural programming. In this role, Allen has produced Urban Suite , a home-decorating program for budget-conscious city dwellers, and D-Tours , a cultural travel series highlighting the African Diaspora. In addition to these accomplishments, Allen created and produced the Emmy-nominated children’s program TechKnow Kids , and co-produced and edited the award-winning short film 12 Minutes and the cable award-winning series Inside Issues.
Sources:
Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender . DVD. Directed by Barbara E. Allen; Chicago, IL: WTTW/Chicago, 2005.
Scope and Content
The Barbara E. Allen Papers document the making of the Emmy-winning documentary Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender (2005). The collection includes research materials, original uncut video interviews, audio interviews and interview transcripts. (However, in some cases, only portions of the interviews have been transcribed.) Interviews were conducted with such notables as Timuel Black, Earl Calloway, Joslyn DiPasalegne, Emil Jones, Tom Picou, Robert Sengstacke, Doris Saunders, Nathan McGill III and then-Senator Barack Obama. The Barbara E. Allen Papers also contains DVD and VHS versions of Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender and other documentaries by Allen including DuSable to Obama: Chicago’s Black Metropolis (2010) and Standing on Common Ground: My Spring Break in New Orleans (2006), a film collaboration with her son Evan Allen Gessesse.
Related papers at the Vivian G. Harsh Collection include the Abbott-Sengstacke Family Papers, the Ben Burns Papers, the Chester Commodore Papers, the Richard Durham Papers, the Marjorie Stewart Joyner Papers and the Doris E. Saunders Papers.
Container List
| Box 1 | A/V 001 | Audiocassette | Interviews with Emil Jones (Side A) and Valerie Jarrett (Side B), [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 002 | Audiocassette | Interview with Tom Picou, [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 003 | Audiocassette | Interview with Tom Picou (Side A) and Joslyn DiPasalegne (Side B), [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 004 | Audiocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Part 1, [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 005 | Audiocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Part 2, [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 006 | Audiocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Part 3, [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 007 | Audiocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Part 4; Dr. Clarence Nixon Jr., [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 008 | Audiocassette | Interview with Dr. Clarence Nixon Jr., [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 009 | Audiocassette | Interview with John Stroger, [n.d.] |
| Box 1 | A/V 010 | Audiocassette | Interview with Salim Muwakkil, April 3, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 011 | Audiocassette | Interview with Roland Martin, Part 1, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 012 | Audiocassette | Interview with Roland Martin, Part 2, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 013 | Audiocassette | Interview with Roland Martin, Part 3, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 014 | Audiocassette | Interview with Earl Calloway, Part 1, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 015 | Audiocassette | Interview with Earl Calloway, Part 2, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 016 | Audiocassette | Interview with Theresa Fambro-Hooks, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 017 | Audiocassette | Interview with Bobby Sengstacke, Part 1, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 018 | Audiocassette | Interview with Bobby Sengstacke, Part 2, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 019 | Audiocassette | Interview with Bobby Sengstacke, Part 3, April 10, 2005; Stephanie Davenport, Part 1, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 020 | Audiocassette | Interview with Stephanie Davenport, Part 2, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 021 | Audiocassette | Interview with Chris Manning, Part 1, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 022 | Audiocassette | Interview with Chris Manning, Part 2, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 023 | Audiocassette | Interview with Chris Manning, Part 3, March 24, 2005; Myiti Sengstacke, Part 1, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 1 | A/V 024 | Audiocassette | Interview with Myiti Sengstacke, Part 2, March 24, 2005; Timuel Black, Part 1, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 2 | A/V 025 | Audiocassette | Interview with Timuel Black, Part 3, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 2 | A/V 026 | Audiocassette | Interview with Jim Grossman, Part 1, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 2 | A/V 027 | Audiocassette | Interview with Jim Grossman, Part 2, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 2 | A/V 028 | Audiocassette | Interview with Charles Whitaker, March 24, 2005; Cliff Kelley, Tape 1, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 029 | Audiocassette | Interview with Cliff Kelley, Tape 2, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 030 | Audiocassette | Interview with Doris Saunders, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 031 | Audiocassette | Interview with Colonel Eugene Scott, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 032 | Audiocassette | Interview with Lonnie Bunch, Tape 1, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 033 | Audiocassette | Interview with Lonnie Bunch, Tape 2, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 034 | Audiocassette | Interview with Laura Washington, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 035 | Audiocassette | Interview with Irma P. Hall, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 036 | Audiocassette | Interview with Desiree Rogers, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 037 | Audiocassette | Interview with Tim Sammuelson, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 038 | Audiocassette | Interview with Nathan McGill III, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 039 | Audiocassette | Interview with Sherry Williams, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 040 | Audiocassette | Interview with Senator Barack Obama, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 041 | Audiocassette | Interview with Michael Flug and Timuel Black, Tape 1, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 042 | Audiocassette | Interview with Michael Flug and Timuel Black, Tape 2, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 043 | Audiocassette | Interview with Michael Flug and Timuel Black, Tape 3, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 044 | Audiocassette | Interview with Clarice Durham, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 045 | Audiocassette | Interview with James Kellum, Tape 1, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 046 | Audiocassette | Interview with James Kellum, Tape 2, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 047 | Audiocassette | Interview with Ernie Banks (“Mr. Cubs”), [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 048 | Audiocassette | Interview with Bobby Rush, [n.d.] |
| Box 2 | A/V 049 | Audiocassette | Interview with Unidentified subject, [n.d.] |
| Box 3 | A/V 050 | Videocassette | Interview with Emil Jones, [n.d.] |
| Box 3 | A/V 051 | Videocassette | Interview with Valerie Jarrett, [n.d.] |
| Box 3 | A/V 052 | Videocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Tape 1, March 2005 |
| Box 3 | A/V 053 | Videocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Tape 2, March 2005 |
| Box 3 | A/V 054 | Videocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Tape 3, March 2005 |
| Box 3 | A/V 055 | Videocassette | Interview with Joslyn DiPasalegne, Tape 4, March 2005 |
| Box 3 | A/V 056 | Videocassette | Interview with Roland Martin, #2, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 3 | A/V 057 | Videocassette | Interview with Roland Martin, #3, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 3 | A/V 058 | Videocassette | Interview with Earl Calloway, Tape 1, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 3 | A/V 059 | Videocassette | Interview with Earl Calloway, Tape 2, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 060 | Videocassette | Interview with Theresa Fambro-Hooks, April 10, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 061 | Videocassette | Interview with Stephanie Davenport, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 062 | Videocassette | Interview with Chris Manning, Tape 1, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 063 | Videocassette | Interview with Chris Manning, Tape 2, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 064 | Videocassette | Interview with Timuel Black, Tape 2, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 065 | Videocassette | Interview with Timuel Black, Tape 3, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 066 | Videocassette | Interview with Jim Grossman, Tape 1, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 067 | Videocassette | Interview with Jim Grossman, Tape 2, March 24, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 068 | Videocassette | Interview with Cliff Kelley, April 9, 2005 |
| Box 4 | A/V 069 | Videocassette | Interview with Lonnie Bunch, Tape 1, April 2, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 070 | Videocassette | Interview with Lonnie Bunch, Tape 2, April 2, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 071 | Videocassette | Interview with Irma P. Hall, March 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 072 | Videocassette | Interview with Nathan McGill III, April 9, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 073 | Videocassette | Interview with Michael Flug and Timuel Black, Tape 1, April 15, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 074 | Videocassette | Interview with Michael Flug and Timuel Black, Tape 2, April 15, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 075 | Videocassette | Interview with Clarice Durham, April 15, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 076 | Videocassette | Interview with James Kellum, April 15, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 077 | Videocassette | Interview with Ernie Banks (“Mr. Cubs”), April 15, 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 078 | Videocassette | Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender, June 2005 |
| Box 5 | A/V 079 | Videocassette | Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender, June 2005 |
| Box 6 | A/V 080 | DVD | Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender, June 2005 |
| Box 6 | A/V 081 | DVD | Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender, June 2005 |
| Box 6 | A/V 082 | DVD | Standing on Common Ground (Film by Evan Allen Gessesse), c. 2006 |
| Box 6 | A/V 083 | DVD | Positively Trailer and Promo by Barbara Allen, [n.d.] |
| Box 6 | A/V 084 | DVD | DuSable to Obama, 2010 |
| Box 7 | Folder 1 | Interview Transcript, Banks, Ernie, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 2 | Interview Transcript, Black, Timuel, March 24, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 3 | Interview Transcript, Brown, Maggie, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 4 | Interview Transcript, Bunch, Lonnie, April 2, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 5 | Interview Transcript, Burroughs, Margaret, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 6 | Interview Transcript, Calloway, Earl, April 10, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 7 | Interview Transcript, Davenport, Stephanie, March 24, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 8 | Interview Transcript, DiPasalegne, Joslyn, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 9 | Interview Transcript, Durham, Clarice, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 10 | Interview Transcript, Fambro-Hooks, Theresa, April 10, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 11 | Interview Transcript, Flug, Michael and Timuel Black, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 12 | Interview Transcript, Grossman, James, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 13 | Interview Transcript, Hall, Irma P., [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 14 | Interview Transcript, Jarrett, Valerie, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 15 | Interview Transcript, Jones, Emil, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 16 | Interview Transcript, Kelley, Cliff, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 17 | Interview Transcript, Kellum, James, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 18 | Interview Transcript, Manning, Chris, March 24, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 19 | Interview Transcript, Martin, Roland, April 10, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 20 | Interview Transcript, McGill, Nathan, III, [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 21 | Interview Transcript, Muwakkil, Salim, April 3, 2005 | |
| Box 7 | Folder 22 | Interview Transcript, Nixon, Clarence, Jr., [n.d.] | |
| Box 7 | Folder 23 | Interview Transcript, Obama, Barack, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 1 | Interview Transcript, Picou, Tom, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 2 | Interview Transcript, Rogers, Desiree, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 3 | Interview Transcript, Rush, Bobby, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 4 | Interview Transcript, Sammuelson, Tim, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 5 | Interview Transcript, Saunders, Doris, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 6 | Interview Transcript, Scott, Colonel Eugene, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 7 | Interview Transcript, Sengstacke, Bobby, April 10, 2005 | |
| Box 8 | Folder 8 | Interview Transcript, Sengstacke, Myiti, March 24, 2005 | |
| Box 8 | Folder 9 | Interview Transcript, Stroger, John, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 10 | Interview Transcript, Washington, Laura, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 11 | Interview Transcript, Watkins, James Nugie, [n.d.] | |
| Box 8 | Folder 12 | Interview Transcript, Whitaker, Charles, March 24, 2005 | |
| Box 8 | Folder 13 | Interview Transcript, Williams, Sherry, [n.d.] | |
| Box 9 | CD Headline: Birth of A Nation Kicked Out of Ohio, October 2, 1915 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: Family Driven From South by Mob, September 4, 1920 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: A Recapitulation of 25 Years Work, May 3, 1930 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: Ike Award Kicks Off Defender Anniversary, May 7, 1955 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: 250,000 View Slain Youth’s Body, September 10, 1955 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: Defender Tracks Down Mystery Till ‘Witness,’ October 8, 1955 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: King Murdered!, April 6-12, 1968 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: Nation Mourns Jackie; Funeral Rites Set Friday, October 25, 1972 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: To Our Readers (75th Anniversary Edition), May 3, 1980 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: Religious Council…Plea: Epton! Halt Racist Ads!, April 2, 1983 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: We Are a Family, February 26, 1986 | ||
| Box 9 | CD Headline: City Mourns Death of John H. H. Sengstacke, May 29, 1997 | ||
| Box 10 | 2005-2006 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards - Outstanding Achievement for Documentary Programs - Documentary of Historic Significance - Paper Trails: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender, Barbara Allen, Producer, WTTW |
