The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Secret City Films

115 Bradley Avenue
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 865-742-8783

Repository URL: http://www.secretcityfilms.com/SCF/home.html

Repository description (extant): Keith McDaniel is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a native of East Tennessee. A graduate of Carson Newman College, Keith has spent his career telling stories -- as a newspaper reporter, television producer, and for the past 12 years, as a filmmaker.

Keith's most recent film, THE CLINTON 12, tells the story of the desegregation of Clinton High School in Clinton, Tennessee, in 1956. Clinton High was the first public school in the South to be integrated as a result of the US Supreme Court decision Brown vs. the Board of Education. Narrated by James Earl Jones, THE CLINTON 12 has screened in dozens of film festivals across North America garnering 15 awards including several Best Documentary awards as well as the Nashville Public Television Human Spirit Award. In February 2008, THE CLINTON 12 was broadcast nationwide on PBS. Keith is also the writer/director of the critically acclaimed feature documentary films SECRET CITY: THE OAK RIDGE STORY PARTS 1 & 2. These films tell the story of the role Oak Ridge played in helping win World War II as well as the years following the end of the war which led to some of the greatest scientific discoveries and accomplishments of the 20th century.

In 2007, Keith was the recipient of the All American Film Festival 'Director's Award for the Advancement of Independent Cinema' and received the "2007 Roane State Community College Outstanding Alumni Award." In recognition of his contributions to his community, the Oak Ridge Mayor and City Council declared June 15th, 2006 as "Keith McDaniel Day" in the city of Oak Ridge.

Keith is also the founder and director of the Secret City Film Festival, held annually in Oak Ridge, and, on a daily basis, operates his production company, Secret City Films.

Repository type: Corporate Entity

Collections:

[Oral histories for 'The Clinton 12' film]