The Better Angels Society
 | |
| Abbreviation | TBAS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2013 |
| Founders |
|
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | Documentary Films and Film preservation, Documentary Film Production, Free Public and Educational Access |
| Location |
|
| Products | Documentary Films and Educational Materials |
| Method | Donations and grants |
| Website | www |
The Better Angels Society (TBAS) is a nonprofit organization founded by individuals dedicated to promoting excellence in documentary filmmaking focused on American history. Their work is to ensure that Ken Burns and other documentarians receive support, so that they might continue to advance American citizens’ understanding of their collective history and shared values. The President and Chief Philanthropic Officer of The Better Angels Society is Amy Margerum Berg.[1]
History
Founded in 2010 in Walpole, New Hampshire, The Better Angels Society formed to organize and advance private support for documentary films focused on American history, especially those of Ken Burns and filmmakers associated with him.[2][3]
The Better Angels Society operates under the direction of its Board of Directors, whose Chair is Nancy J. Cable.
The Better Angels Society Name
The Better Angels Society name was inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address delivered on March 4, 1861.
An excerpt from Lincoln's first inaugural address:
The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
Mission
The mission of The Better Angels Society is as follows.
The mission of The Better Angels Society is to further the extraordinary creative and educational legacy of Ken Burns. We are dedicated to ensuring that his historically significant films, as well as those of other filmmakers, are completed, broadcast, promoted, and reach as many people as possible through extensive educational outreach.
Filmography
- Brooklyn Bridge (1981)
- The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984)
- The Statue of Liberty (1985)
- Huey Long (1985)
- Thomas Hart Benton (1988)
- The Congress (1989)
- The Civil War (1990)
- Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991)
- William Segal (1992)
- Baseball (1994)
- Vézelay (1996)
- The West (1996)
- Thomas Jefferson (1997)
- Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997)
- Frank Lloyd Wright (1998)
- Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (1999)
- In the Marketplace (2000)
- Jazz (2001)
- Mark Twain (2002)
- Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (2003)
- Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2005)
- The War (2007)
- The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009)
- The Tenth Inning (2010)
- Prohibition (2011)
- The Dust Bowl (2012)
- The Central Park Five (2013)
- The Address (2014)
- The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014)
- Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies (2015)
- Jackie Robinson (2016)
- Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War (2016)
Films in Production and Soon to be Released
Proposed Upcoming films
- Benjamin Franklin
- Crime and Punishment in America
- From Emancipation to Exodus
- History of Invention & Technology
- Katharine Graham
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Lyndon Johnson
- The American Buffalo
- The Cold War
- The Gene
- The Mormons[6]
Legacy ― The Next Generation
Ken Burns Presents: The Next Generation is a program of The Better Angels Society that supports the next generation of filmmakers. For these film projects, Ken Burns is executive producer, and provides guidance to the filmmakers. TBAS created this program to strengthen the legacy of Ken Burns, and to support filmmakers who seek to tell America's story through documentary films.[8]
Current Films of Ken Burns Presents: The Next Generation (as of March 2017)
- College Behind Bars
- East Lake
- The Mayo Clinic[8]
Other Filmmakers Supported by The Better Angels Society
- Sarah Botstein
- Lynn Novick
Farm Pond Pictures[10]
- Artemis Joukowsky
Ewers Brothers Productions[11]
- Chris Ewers
- Erik Ewers
- Sarah Burns
- David McMahon
Educational Outreach
The Better Angels Society, through collaboration with WETA (a public access TV station for the Greater Washington, D.C. area), Florentine Films, and PBS, offers online educational materials for grades 7-12, which teach American history through Ken Burns documentary films. The online lesson plans also cover the academic subjects of civics, social studies, world history, government, geography, English, music, art, economics, and math, all in an effort to encourage critical thinking and discussion among students.[13][14][15][16]
References
- ↑ The Aspen Institute. "Aspen Institute's Amy Margerum Berg to Step Down; Will Lead Ken Burns Foundation After 16-Year Run." The Aspen Institute, 15 Mar. 2016. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aspen-institutes-amy-margerum-berg-to-step-down-will-lead-ken-burns-foundation-after-16-year-run-300236439.html. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Blum, Debra E. "Fundraising groups focused on public TV shows expand to bring stations under tent." Current, 12 Nov. 2014. http://current.org/2014/11/fundraising-groups-focused-on-public-tv-shows-expand-to-bring-stations-under-tent/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ "The Better Angels Society." Ken Burns, http://kenburns.com/the-better-angels-society/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ "First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln." The Avalon Project, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/lincoln1.asp. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ "The Better Angels Society." The Better Angels Society, http://www.thebetterangelssociety.org/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Better Angels Society. "Current Films." The Better Angels Society, http://www.thebetterangelssociety.org/films/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ WETA. "Ken Burns Partnership." WETA, http://www.weta.org/about/productions/national/kenburns. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kiger, Jeff. "Ken Burns Working on Mayo Clinic documentary." Post Bulletin, 21 Oct. 2016. http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/ken-burns-working-on-mayo-clinic-documentary/article_bdeaf33d-cc08-526d-8249-a28c09078b02.html. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ "About Us." Skiff Mountain Films, http://www.skiffmountainfilms.com/about. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Moriarty, Brian. "‘Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War,’ A New Film by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky to Air on PBS September 20." PBS, 24 May 2016. http://www.pbs.org/about/blogs/news/defying-the-nazis-the-sharps-war-a-new-film-by-ken-burns-and-artemis-joukowsky-to-air-on-pbs-september-20/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ "About." Ewers Bros. Productions, http://ewersbrothers.com/?page_id=2. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Romeo, Jim. "The Florentine Four: Ken Burns and Partners Look Back on 30 Years of Documentary Production." International Documentary Association, http://www.documentary.org/magazine/florentine-four-ken-burns-and-partners-look-back-30-years-documentary-production. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.
- ↑ The Better Angels Society. "Educational Outreach." The Better Angels Society. http://www.thebetterangelssociety.org/education/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Bezos Family Foundation. "Partner 2011 – 2013." Bezos Family Foundation, http://www.bezosfamilyfoundation.com/better-angels-society-ken-burns. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ PBS. "In the Classroom." PBS, http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/classroom. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Timmons, Greg. "Ken Burns Asks: ‘Who Are We As Americans?’." EDSITEment! National Endowment for the Humanities, https://edsitement.neh.gov/feature/ken-burns-asks-who-are-we-americans. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
External links
- Official website
- Florentine Films
- U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management
- The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations
- PBS
- WETA
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