Page 13 - 100 Day Report-2021

100 Day Report
100 Day Report
GRAND GRAPTER
Khephra K. Burns
More than the coronavirus pan- demic and the safety measures it has necessitated, the unpre- cedented shift in politics, away from the democratic norms under which we have all ope- rated throughout our lifetimes, has occasioned the equally unprecedented need for a ti- mely response to it from the Boulé. When it dawned on us that the fall issue of The Boulé Journal would not reach the mail boxes and email inboxes of Ar- chons and Archousai until after the November 3rd presidential election, the publication of a first-ever special edition of the Journal seemed the appropria- te, urgent response — not only to the present looming threat to Black communities and the nation in which we exist, but, importantly, that the Boulé be on record for posterity as having been present and fully engaged at this pivotal moment of exis- tential crisis in the nation that African Americans, as much as any group, have helped to build.
The fall issue of the Journal
would typically arrive in the hands of our members too late to urge any action that could impact the outcome of the presidential election. And so, a special edition of the Journal, consisting solely of editorials by a select few Archons and one Archousa, was rushed into production and print.
The Grand Grapter has also joi- ned with Pacific Region Sire Ar- chon George A. Strait to resume the project of videotaping oral histories of past Grand Officers, beginning with Emeritus Grand Thesauristes Archon Manford Byrd. Interviews of Archon Byrd and several Past Grand Sires and Grand Officers were taped some ten years ago, and these will be used in our research to prep for the updated interviews.
The Grand Grapter has received several calls to secure clearan- ces (permissions) for the images and music used in the “Archons of the Harlem Renaissance” (Boulé History project), which would allow for the documen- tary to be shared and shown outside of the private circle of the Fraternity. This is as huge a project as was the documen- tary itself and, frankly, not one the Grand Grapter is eager to take on. It would be a full-ti- me job entailing several weeks of work. The Grand Grapter is further unconvinced that there would be an interest in it outside of the Boulé. Perhaps, there might be an interest on the part of the Smithsonian NMAAHC, but otherwise just an instrument to torture high school students and others with no connection
to the Archons that is key to our own interest.
Nevertheless, the Grand Grapter has asked for an estimate from someone with whom he has worked on other projects. Her estimate will be only for her work in tracking down the rights to a dozen pieces on music and 500+ images, not for the cost of clearing those images for which we would need permission. My own wild guess is somewhere between $50,000 and $80,000, but I will get a better idea from her.
The Fraternity should first de- cide whether and with whom it wants to share the documen- tary outside of the Fraternity; secondly, whether it wants to proceed with the cost of the services of the clearance pro- fessional, and lastly, if it wants to pay the costs for the images and music once those costs are determined.
11