News
Contact: Kallie Bienvenu
615.321.4939
kbienvenu@cfmt.org
December 7, 2007
The Brooks Fund Announces Multimedia Project on the GLBT History of Middle Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee – The H. Franklin Brooks Philanthropic Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee announces an ongoing and diverse multimedia archival record of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) life in Middle Tennessee.
The initial stage of this extensive and groundbreaking project will collect oral histories and related materials from members of the GLBT community, which will be archived for use by researchers, educators, and individuals and from which a documentary film will be produced. Collection of the oral histories will begin in 2008.
“Gay and lesbian citizens of Middle Tennessee have a lot to tell us about what life was like for them fifty or sixty years ago,” said Iris Buhl, steering committee member. “They were – and are – an integral part of the fabric of this community. Our knowledge of the history of Middle Tennessee is incomplete without their stories. That’s why the Brooks Fund is mounting this effort.”
Documentary producers will interview 25 diverse and local GLBT community members who have first-hand knowledge and experience of GLBT life, some going back as far as the 1930s. Interviewees will discuss several topics. What was life like in the first half of the twentieth century for the GLBT community? Was there a gay community? If so, what form did it take? Careful attention will be given to the privacy and confidentiality of people who wish to participate anonymously.
Four members of the Brooks Fund advisory board, Iris Buhl, John Bridges, Jim Mathis, and Dr. Roger Moore, plus documentary producer Deidre Duker, serve as the steering committee with consultation from Dr. Dan Cornfield, Professor of Sociology and director of Vanderbilt Center for Nashville Studies. In addition, a group of community leaders will advise and help implement many aspects of the project.
“Gay and lesbian histories and archives exist around the country, usually in large metropolitan areas such as New York, Boston, and Chicago, or at major universities such as Stanford and Duke,” said Mike Smith, chair of the Brooks Fund advisory board. “Middle Tennessee needs to have such an archive. It is part of our community’s history, and we intend that it always be easily accessible to all Middle Tennesseans.”
Over time, The Brooks Fund History Project plans to archive relevant GLBT historical information such as photographs, documents, and memorabilia, much of which is in private collections and the archives of universities, local television stations and newspapers.
To give to The Brooks Fund History Project visit www.cfmt.org.
The Brooks Fund
By supporting and encouraging the development of programs that serve the GLBT community, the Brooks Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee increases philanthropic options and opportunities within the GLBT community. Named for H. Franklin Brooks, a Vanderbilt professor of French and Italian for 25 years and an advocate for the inclusion of gays in Vanderbilt University’s anti-harassment policies, the Fund has given out grants of more than $141,000 in the twelve years of its existence.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 620 charitable funds. In the past sixteen years, The Community Foundation has distributed $320 million to community programs and institutions. Currently, The Community Foundation manages funds totaling $420 million. To make a gift to support the Brooks Fund History Project, please visit www.cfmt.org or call Michael McDaniel at 615-321-4939, extension 101.
# # #
