U-Matic

MAAH Kwanza 1990

U-Matic S tape containing mostly silent footage shot of a 1990 Kwanzaa display and event at the Museum of African American History, followed by shots of the exterior of Tiger Stadium.

Following a brief test pattern and microphone test, the tape begins with a series of shots of a table at the Museum of African American History decorated with a Kwanzaa display including the mkeka, the kinara, the kikombe cha umoja, a Pan-African flag, and a cloth doll. A sign adjacent to the display reads, "Kwanzaa: A Traditional African Celebration of First Fruits" sign.
After a cut, a group predominately composed of children is shown seated at the opposite end of the same room. A man addresses the group, and a woman presents the objects from the Kwanzaa display to the crowd. Following a shot of a model of a hut beside the table, a group of dancers and drummers--including Sundiata Keita--begin performing before the crowd.

Following a brief gap in the tape, an audio track appears with a series of shots of a woman doing a mock television news broadcast outside of Tiger Stadium. Across several takes, she introduces herself as Scoop Gorka Brier, mentions that opening day is on the horizon, and sets up a transition concerning the recent performance of Detroit's sports teams.

Several silent shots follow of the exterior of Tiger Stadium. These center on the sign announcing opening day--April 12th with a game against Boston--the Tigers symbol painted on the Trumbull Street face of the building, the ticket window, and the Tiger Stadium sign atop the exterior wall.

The recordings are on a 3M UCA-30S U-Matic tape with a handwritten 3M spine label across its top. The tape is housed within a black plastic clasping U-Matic case with a matching spine label.