“Model City” Documentary

Join us for a screening of the documentary Model City (2006) produced by Doug Ruffin and the Buffalo History Channel. Model Cities was a federal funding program to support the development of anti-poverty and revitalized urban renewal initiatives throughout the late 1960s and 1970s. Under the direction of Professor Jesse Nash Jr., the Buffalo Model Cities Agency established numerous programs to address resident needs on the East Side. With support from Model Cities, the founders of the Langston Hughes Center for the Visual and Performing Arts opened its permanent High St. location in 1971. The early history of the center is the subject of the exhibition Founders, currently on view. Following the screening, filmmaker Doug Ruffin will engage in a discussion of the community impact of the program and the significance of archival resources in the preservation of these important stories.

The founder of Urban Legacy Filmworks, parent company to the Buffalo History Channel, Ruffin has spent the last 25 years capturing and chronicling the city’s rich African American history through his work as a documentary filmmaker, content creator, and historian. His productions include rare, archival footage and interviews that highlight the stories, organizations, and individuals that have contributed to the rich legacy of Buffalo’s black communities. This will be the first in a series of screenings with Doug Ruffin exploring his vital and unique lens on our region’s history.

This will be a hybrid screening.This event is happening live and in person at the Burchfield Penney Art Center and is free with museum admission. However, if you cannot or would prefer to participate from home, please feel free to watch the film, then join us on Facebook for a live stream where some of your questions in chat will be answered.