Clarence L. Irving, Sr.
Honored at York College CUNY

The Southeast Queens Film Festival is a three-day festival celebration of local storytelling with the moving image, showcasing films and filmmakers with a connection to Southeast Queens. On April 16, recently digitized videos from the archives of Clarence Irving's. The archives included 30 videos, audio recording and photos. 

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The Black American Heritage Foundation (BAHF) was founded in 1984 by Clarence L. Irving, Sr., for the purpose of documenting, preserving, and disseminating information about the cultural heritage and accomplishments of African Americans. As President of the earlier Bisons Bicentennial Committee, Mr. Irving helped to establish the Black American Heritage Trail (which was officially dedicated on Nov. 18, 1976), to honor the achievements of African Americans in Southeast Queens. Mr. Irving was also instrumental in convincing the United States Postal Service to issue the Black Heritage Series of stamps in 1978. The idea for a joint York College-BAHF Music History Archive was proposed by Mr. Irving and officially announced by York President Milton G. Bassin on Oct. 18, 1989. 

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The purpose of the Archive was to collect documents, music manuscripts, memorabilia, recordings, and artifacts pertaining to African American musicians and composers who lived in Southeast Queens. Dr. Robert Parmet of the History Department has been the College’s representative to BAHF, as well as a member of the Archive Advisory Committee, since the project's inception.

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The first donation of materials to the Music Archive, which is housed in the York College Library, was by trumpeter and composer Wilbur "Buck" Clayton, who donated the scores to five of his compositions, as well as a trumpet case and various mutes.

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Other significant additions to the Archive over the years were a tenor saxophone that belonged to Al Sears, and a flute that belonged to inventor (and electrical pioneer) Lewis Latimer. The opening exhibit of the Music History Archive took place on May 2, 1994.

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Other collaborations between BAHF and York College include numerous commemorations for Duke Ellington Month, with lectures and concerts. Ellington vocalist Joya Sherrill performed at the 1991 commemoration. In 2007, York College and BAHF paid tribute to the wives of jazz musicians, honoring Catherine Basie, DeLores Bell, Mary Benton, Patricia Clayton, Evelyn Ellington, Mona Hinton, Gloria Johnson, Barbara Perkins, Jean Prysock, Ruth Sears, Hope Townsend, Catherine Williams, Estella Williams, and Eva Taylor Williams.

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