Black Classical Composers Collection

Black Classical Composers was a 30-episode radio program created by Carolyn Armenta Davis of music written between 1771-1975 by Black composers in the United States, Brazil, England, France, and Nigeria, and aired on Chicago’s WEFM (now WUSN) between June 1976 and December 1977. Each one hour episode consists of a combination a voiceover description of the composer's life and music, as well as performing musicians in broadcast. This collection contains materials from 1936 to 1991.

Series 1. Papers, 1965-1991, contains the printed and written material relevant to the creation of the Black Classical Composers program. Material in this series includes copies of scripts and draft scripts of programs with changes made by Davis. Correspondence relating to the selling, production, and research of the program are included, some of which focus on Davis’ attempts to sell the program to foreign radio stations an subsequently why she traveled to the Marché International du Disque et de l'Édition Musicale (MIDEM) trade show in 1984. Finally, research materials including academic writings record company/artist promotional material and newspaper clippings.

Series 2. Publications, 1936-1971, consists of three books used by Davis in her research: Negro Musicians and their Music, The Music of Black Americans, A History, and Black Music in Our Culture, Circular Ideas on the Subjects, Materials and Problems .

Series 3. Audio Visual, 1939-1990, contains thirty-four open reel recordings of Black Classical Composers demos of the radio program, and seventy-four LP records used by Davis in the creation of the program.