Color footage of inventor George Washington Carver at Tuskegee University in Alabama. Dr. Carver is filmed at his apartment, office, laboratory, and garden.
Black women had extremely limited options during Jim Crow. Odessa’s story explores how an African American woman born in a time with limited options leveraged her incredible mind and quick wit to become wealthier than she ever should have been able to This film takes a look at choices that were made, a wild ride Odessa had as an underworld queen, and consequences from her choices Odessa Madre’s life was a mix of resilience and bookend by the vicissitudes of luck, a contrast of economic success within
A short film entitled "A Letter To Claudette Colvin", written and directed by Victoria Wilson bringing awareness to Colvin's involvement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott which ignited due to her refusal on March 2, 1955.
A small urban city with a gargantuan wealth of history, contributions, and changes. From the steel industry, music, politics, education, and sports; Gary, Indiana has made its mark on the region, state, and country. With all of the richness found in this jewel in northwest Indiana, why has it declined economically and will it become "City of the Century" as it was previously?
Maurice Hines -- actor, director, singer, and choreographer -- navigates the complications of show business while grieving the loss of his more famous, often estranged younger brother, tap dance legend Gregory Hines.
Documentary film on events that happened on August 28th in African-American history, shown at the Smithsonian African-American History Museum.
Traces the life of Booker T. Washington, ex-slave, author, educator, and political leader, focusing on his stewardship of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Uses historic photographs, re-created vignettes, and interviews with contemporaries such as W.E.B. DuBois to present Washington's complex personality and his influence on southern life after the Civil War. Also examines his controversial policies of Black economic self-reliance and political accommodation
Using newly uncovered historical documents, this documentary short pieces together the most complete and accurate account of the life of Viro Small ever told. Nicknamed "Black Sam of Vermont" for his ties to the Green Mountain State, Small was a pro wrestling pioneer who reached the height of his notoriety in 1880's New York City.
The story of how Everett Leroy Jones became Amiri Baraka, from his childhood to the mid '60s, is told through interviews recorded in the late '90s.
When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than four million slaves were set free. Over 70 years later, the memories of some 2,000 slave-era survivors were transcribed and preserved by the Library of Congress. These first-person anecdotes, ranging from the brutal to the bittersweet, have been brought to vivid life in this unique HBO documentary special, featuring the on-camera voices of over a dozen top African-American actors.
With unparalleled access to America’s most popular plantation houses, archaeologist Lauren Cudmore goes on a journey to uncover why millions of tourists continue to flock to these sites, while conveniently forgetting their horrific past.
Produced in 2004, Inspired by the book, Glory In A Snapshot A Photographic Look at Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bedford-Stuyvesant Beautiful is a video that gives you an insight into life in this historic community.
Documents the race riot of 1921 and the destruction of the African-American community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With testimony by eyewitnesses and background accounts by historians.
The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion.
An animated satire on the question of self-image for African American women living in a society where beautiful hair is viewed as hair that blows in the wind and lets you be free. Lively tunes and witty narration accompany a quick-paced inventory of relaxers, gels, and curlers. This short film has become essential for discussions of racism, African American cinema, and empowerment.
Frederick Douglass, Fighter for Freedom is a 19-minute documentary on the life and times of Frederick Douglass. Historic photos and documdrama segments cover the live of this great orator, emancipator and statesman. The story is told by a young narrator.
For Dr Albert José “Doc” Jones, co-founder of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers, diving has never been just a sport. After exploring the wreck of the Henrietta Marie — the first lost slave ship ever recovered — he dedicated his life to honouring those lost to history and ensuring their stories endure.
Denver’s iconic and Grammy Award-winning musicians reveal the secrets of their success and longevity in the music business while warning the young lions to whom they pass the torch to stay relevant in a marketplace both treacherous and brutal. The majestic Rocky Mountains tower over a bustling metropolis filled with steamy and romantic nightclubs where jazz flourishes on stage. JazzTown features never seen before live concert footage on historic stages that have now crumbled due to economic stresses of the Covid Pandemic. ~ Dianne Reeves, 5-time Grammy Award winner for Best Jazz Vocalist ~ US Senator John Hickenlooper (former jazz club owner) ~ Ron Miles (Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Ginger Baker) ~ Charlie Hunter (Snarky Puppy, Christian McBride, Stanton Moore) ~ Art Lande (Mark Isham, Gary Peacock) ~ Ayo Awosika (Session Singer on Soundtracks to: Wakanda Forever, Nope, Dune, The Lion King ... tours with Miley Cyrus,) and many more.
Two artists from Alexandria, Virginia, revisit the town’s segregated past and tell the story of family, friendship, loss, and love through historical dollhouses.
Clarissa Uprooted depicts the Third Ward as a microcosm of Rochester’s—and many northern US cities’—history. From neighborhood camaraderie, international jazz music, and thriving black-owned businesses, to redlining, urban renewal, and other racist policies. The film features some of the elders who lived this history and the youth who are living with the consequences today.