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Mabel Hampton (1902 - 1989)
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 Before
Stonewall by Greta Schiller (1985, 87 min)
This extraordinary recollection/documentary
traces the evolution of the gay movement in the U.S. from the
1920s to the '60s and touches on the major milestones in the
development of gay-lesbian consciousness. Narrated by Rita Mae
Brown and aided by archival footage and memorable interviews, Before
Stonewall vividly paints a picture of what it was like to be
"in the life" during this period of repression. The
pioneers of the liberation recall their experiences -- from the
lesbian bars in 1920s Harlem to the gay soldier's experiences in
WWII to what it was like for gay blacks and Native Americans. The
unwritten history of the fight for gay rights comes alive in this
entertaining tribute to the forces that shaped a fledgling
community. Film includes interviews with Mabel Hampton,
Jackie Cachero, Maua A. Ajanaku and Audre Lorde.
 A
Fragile Union : New & Selected Writings by Joan
Nestle
A leading light of lesbian and gay history (she
founded the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn), Nestle
presents a collection of her writings over the last 10 years. An
effort to chronicle the lives of working-class lesbians lies at
the heart of Nestle's work, and her essay "The Life of Mabel
Hampton as Told by a White Woman" shows why the pursuit is so
important: Hampton was a black lesbian from the South who worked
most of her life as a domestic but also participated fully in her
community and culture. She did not have to "come out"
because, Nestle tells us, she was never "in," and so
provides us with "the vision of an integrated life."
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A videotape by Jean
Carlomusto, Dolores
Perez, Catherine
Gund, Polly
Thistlethwaite (1994 54 minutes)
"Not Just Passing Through" juxtaposes
four sites of lesbian courage and creativity in the past and
present to convey hope and possibility for the future. Photographs
and oral history memorialize African-American lesbian Mabel
Hampton (1902-1989), an inspiration to younger lesbians and a
catalyst for the founding of the Lesbian Herstory Archives. The
work of the Archives is further recorded in part two, the story of
the rescue of Marge McDonald’s collection of diaries, books and
artifacts which documented her life as a lesbian in the midwest in
the 1950’s. June Chan’s slide show serves as the centerpiece
of part three, which shows how Asian Lesbians of the East Coast (ALOEC)
is a source of support and pride for its members as both Asians
and lesbians. Finally, part four takes us backstage at New
York’s WOW Cafe where The Five Lesbian Brothers and others show
just how effectively theater and comedy can explode oppressive
images. "Not Just Passing Through" is a celebration of
the richness of lesbian life...
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By Eric Garber
Excerpt:
Despite the relatively tolerant attitude shown
toward homosexuality by Afro-American culture, black lesbians and
gay men still had a difficult time. Like other black migrants,
they soon learned that racism crossed the Mason-Dixon line.
Economic problems, unemployment, and segregation plagued black
communities across the North. High rents and housing shortages
made privacy a luxury for Harlem's newcomers. Moreover black
homosexuals, like their white counterparts, were continually under
attack from the police and judicial systems. In 1920, young
lesbian Mabel Hampton, recently arrived in Harlem from Winston-
Salem, North Carolina, was arrested on trumped-up prostitution
charges and spent two years in Bedford Hills Reformatory...
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Names Index:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X
Y Z
| Authors
Index | Scholars
Index |
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