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Subjects
Films by Subject
African-American Studies
94 film(s) found
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Twenty-year-old Adam Abdul Hakeem was the first person in American judicial history to be found innocent by reason of self defense in a police shooting case. more »
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This is a compelling portrait of the legendary African American leader, Adam Clayton Powell, as well as a fascinating look at the beginning of modern black politics in this country. more »
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This is a deeply personal exploration of the bedroom politics that make black women especially vulnerable to AIDS infection. The film follows a young female doctor, working in the South Bronx, as she gives medical and emotional support to her afflicted patients. more »
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This powerful documentary provides the historical context for the establishment of the '60s Civil Rights Movement, and includes rare clips of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and other activists. more »
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This film gives voice to African-American students around the country as they articulate issues of race, racism and race relations. more »
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The slaves of the Caribbean contributed not only to the wealth of their masters, but also to the cultural heritage of the British Empire. As this film shows, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, and the British Museum were all funded by money made from the slave trade. more »
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Artists of the Bahamas is a unique film that brings to light the rich artistic talent flourishing on the islands. The film profiles locally and internationally recognized artists in the homes, communities, and studios where they develop their vibrant creations. more »
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This film focuses on the assertive market women of Ghana who are subordinate in domestic matters but are powerful in the marketplace. more »
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Beating Justice looks at the intersection of race, class and the juvenile justice system in Florida, and uncovers a system of abuse and denial that resulted in the death of a teenage boy and the acquittal of seven guards despite strong evidence. more »
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Are the categories of "black" and "white" still relevant in our evolving society? Several biracial young people explore the impact society and history have on the perception of color in the United States. more »
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African traditions are kept alive in Brazil by the descendants of those who came to Brazil as slaves. more »
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A vibrant portrait of pluralistic 21st-century Jewish identities across the globe which concludes "Judaism has no color." more »
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In this painfully honest documentary, the filmmaker, a black student who grew up in a white neighborhood, explores themes of assimilation, internalized racism and self hatred with her friends, black and white. more »
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When America established its Pacific supply base in Australia during World War II, Australia's Prime Minister warmly welcomed the estimated one million American servicemen and women stationed and passing through. The exception: black GIs. The US high command cooperated with Australia's racist policy. more »
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A violent chapter of American history is brought alive in this film about the race riots which began on July 1, 1917, when racial tension exploded. Although thirty-nine people died, President Wilson refused to permit a federal inquiry. more »
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While everyone knows of the history of slavery in the USA, few people realize that Brazil was actually the largest participant in the slave trade. Forty percent of all slaves that survived the Atlantic crossing were destined for Brazil. This well-researched BBC production charts Brazil's history using original texts, letters, accounts and decrees. more »
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This amusing film, set in a black neighborhood of Memphis, shows us a slice of ghetto life. The owner of Warren's Original Hair Styles who is also a community leader, uses a lit candle instead of a scissor to style his clients' hair. more »
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This engaging film vividly evokes the rich past of the dance craze of the early 30's known variously as the Jitterbug, the Lindy Hop and Swing dancing. more »
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This joyous, upbeat film explodes with the color, music, and pride of Carnival in America's largest Caribbean community, in New York. more »
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Cheating the Stillness: The World of Julia Peterkin chronicles the life of a remarkable woman and author who rebelled against expectations of Southern women in the early twentieth century. more »
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During two days in September 1957 several courageous students and their parents desegregated the Nashville school system. more »
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A short, dramatic film based on real events that took place during the Civil Rights struggle. more »
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A spirited celebration of traditional African dance filmed in the villages and suburban compounds of Senegal and The Gambia. Chuck Davis performs with his company on a trip to West Africa. more »
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Quilting is interwoven with the history of black women in America. We meet ebullient women and see their colorful creations, which link them to their past. more »
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This intelligent and provocative film investigates the complex issues raised by the rap genre, such as ritualized machismo, misogyny, homophobia, and gun glorification. more »
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This joyful film shows how the spirit and soul of the West African people has been passed down, through the black marching band. more »
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A history of the community development credit union movement which grew out of the need for African Americans to get bank loans. more »
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A portrait of the Electric Boogie Boys, a hip hop dance group from the South Bronx. For them street dancing is a form of self-expression and a way to cope with their environment. more »
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A charismatic but troubled youth strives for success at a strict new inner city charter school. His school has high expectations, but can it overcome the negativity of the community? more »
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When an international company causes pollution in an African American neighborhood, who pays? more »
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This is the story of African American women who migrated from the rural South during the first three decades of the 20th century and worked as domestic workers to support their families. We meet women of spirit and humor who tell how they survived difficult times more »
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In this film, the surviving members of the National Negro Labor Council, formed in 1951, recall their first convention and their notable goals. The Council was a forerunner of the civil rights movement. more »
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Two African-American journalists who covered the events of the civil rights movement in the fifties and sixties return to the deep South where it all took place.Their journey brings back memories of those turbulent times. more »
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Told through manuscripts, letters, and dramatic reconstructions, this is the story of the incredible exodus of thousands of African Americans to Canada in the 1850s. more »
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Girls in White Dresses is the delightful chronicle of young middle-class African American women in Oxnard, California, who eagerly participate in the coming-of-age ritual of the debutante ball. more »
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This powerful film looks at what Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the National of Islam, means to black society, how he came to his leadership role. It puts the movement into historical context. more »
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This film takes us to New Lots, in East Brooklyn, New York, a community plagued with unemployment, drug abuse and violence. A charismatic preacher, Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, infused new life into New Lots through his parish work. more »
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This documentary explores the Greensboro Massacre of 1979 and its aftermath. Members of the Communist Workers Party massed for a “Death to the Klan” rally when a caravan of Ku Klux Klan and American Nazis arrived. The Klansmen opened fire. A quarter of a century later a truth and reconcilliation committee explores the tragedy. more »
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Former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis fathered two sons. One was with a white woman with whom he was in love but felt he couldn't marry in the racial climate of the sixties. The other was with a black woman with whom he had an unhappy marriage. Hubert Davis, the film director, was the mixed-race son who for many years did not know his father. This film movingly explores the pain of sons growing up with an absent father and its effect on their mothers. more »
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Part documentary, part dance performance, this film was inspired by the music of blues harmonica player Sonny Terry. His work, Harmonica Breakdown, is deeply rooted in its social and historical context. more »
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For two centuries, Mississippi blacks have had to endure slavery, poverty, discrimination, and violence. Finally in the 1960's, the civil rights campaign in the South brought real change. Mississippi now has thirteen elected black sheriffs. This film tells the story of one of them: Sheriff Frank Davis and how he gained acceptance by the community of Port Gibson as its major law enforcer. more »
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By examining the early history of the area, the film shows how blacks influenced British Columbia to join the Confederation of Canada instead of becoming part of the United State more »
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This engrossing series chronicles the black experience in Canada from their arrival as slaves in the 17th century to their current achievements. more »
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Few people know that slavery existed in Canada as it did in the United States. Using illustrations, maps, archival documents and photographs, it shows how slaves were kept and sold in Canada until 1863, thirty-two years before the U.S. Emancipation Proclamation. more »
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The population of Nova Scotia ebbed and flowed from the major wars that shaped Canada and the United States. The Jones family experienced slavery and segregation since southerners from the United States had settled in Nova Scotia. more »
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The Duvall family are descendents of fugitive slaves who fled New Orleans by way of the Underground Railway in the 1860's. There were, at that time, already 25,000 free black people in Canada. more »
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The original, award winning feature length version of the Double Dutch Divas. We meet the energetic women who jump to entertain and promote sisterhood. more »
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This delightful film tells the story of Mura Dehn, a Russian-born dancer who came to America in the 1930's, and dedicated herself to preserving jazz dance on film. more »
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This film documents the filmmaker's seven-year search for the elusive father he never knew and his coming to terms with the truth of his origins. more »
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This gripping documentary introduces a young public defender in Washington, D.C., extraordinarily committed to young black men and women who cannot afford representation. more »
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No religion is growing faster in Western prisons than Islam. In the U.S. alone there are more than 200,00 converts. They are mainly black converts searching for an alternative to Christianity. more »
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Documents the remarkable career of the African American opera singer who is world renowned. Born in Augusta, Georgia, she grew up during a time of racial strife. Nevertheless, she broke new ground for African Americans in the classical arts. more »
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Minniejean Brown Trickey was 16 years old when she become one of the Little Rock Nine. Since then, she led a life of passionate social activism and been an inspiration to many. more »
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This enlightening portrait joins African American social activist Julian Bond as he traces his roots back to slavery, and recalls his role as a leader and organizer during the Civil Rights Movement. more »
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This provocative documentary introduces several articulate young men and women of mixed racial heritage.They share their struggle to establish, acquire, and assert a racial identity and describe the experiences that have led them to question whether there is room in America for a multiracial identity. more »
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An African American who is Jewish sings gospel and chants Tora bridging races and traditions. more »
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Few people know that in 18th century France, a black man became not only an internationally recognized composer, but also a director of France¹s leading orchestras. His remarkable life story is recounted in this film, which shows how he overcame the adversities of class, race and society to distinguish himself as a violinist, composer and conductor. His musical compositions inspired Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. more »
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Carmelita Robertson, a black graduate student, and her co-worker, Dr. Ruth Holmes Whitehead, discover they both have roots in South Carolina.They suspect that one of Carmelita’s ancestors was a slave of one of Ruth’s forbears. They journey to South Carolina to explore their linked heritage, and to come to terms with a painful shared history more »
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The crime of lynching is long-gone practice, as shown by events in Jasper, Texas, in 1998, where an African American was dragged to his death behind a truck. more »
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How does a young African American woman cope with the ideals of feminine beauty imposed by white society? Fifteen year-old Jantre finally comes to accept her "unruly" hair and feels liberated. more »
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Louise Bennett-Covelly, a Jamaican icon, is an ebullient performer, folklorist, playwright and poet. She has spent her life furthering Jamaican language, raising the patois dialect to an art level. more »
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This unique film shows the art, craft, dance and history of the moko jumbie, which means "dancing spirit", as they appear at street festivals in New York City. more »
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This two-film series shows descendants of slaves exploring their African ancestry through DNA research and looks at how discoveries about their own history affects the participants. more »
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Descendants of slaves explore their African ancestry through DNA research and examine the emotional connections and that result. more »
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Two years after filming A Genetic Journey, this film picks up where the first award-winning film left off. It looks at how discoveries about their own genetic history have affected participants. Shot in the UK, USA, Africa, and Jamaica, this moving film continues three soul-searching journeys that raise fundamental questions about defining heritage. more »
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Daisy was one of thirteen children born to a former slave, who moved to Vermont in 1872, the first black family in that state. She is an amazing storyteller whose memories go back almost to the Civil War. more »
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In 1969, a young Black Panther named Pete O'Neal was arrested for transporting a gun across state lines. O'Neal fled the country, and has lived in Tanzania since. But while he works hard to serve the local community, his longings for home are undeniable. Can an aging former revolutionary make peace with exile? more »
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This film captures Mr. Pink, a unique and creative individual, who moved from Jamaica to Britain in the fifties. Inspired by a mixture of dreams, memories of childhood and his religion, he adorned his Victorian mansion to recreate the vivid colors of the Carribbean. more »
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Whitney Young was one of the most celebrated—and controversial—leaders in the Civil Rights Era. As head of the National Urban League, he was an influential liaison between those in power and those striving for change. more »
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This program sets out to portray the current tensions and frustrations, hopes and fears, of this divided city that was at the center of the civil rights struggle in the '50's and '60's. more »
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In 60's and '70's race riots, a local high school in Bellport, NY became the scene of angry confrontations, resulting in its temporary closure and a police presence. By having access to video cameras the students were able to voice their grievances and effect change. Thirty years later the students meet again and view their footage. more »
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A gripping documentary that offers a compelling investigation of America’s death penalty, probing how race discrimination infects our capital punishment system. more »
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The biography of the African-American scholar turned diplomat who was the first person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize. more »
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This film captures the essence of the cultural phenomenon of rap music during its formative years in the early 1990s when it exploded onto the world stage. The film is an important historical document featuring rap's most influential and controversial artists such as Ice Cube, Ice T, and Queen Latifah who have become international media stars. more »
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More than forty years ago three civil rights workers were savagely slain in Neshoba County. That heinous crime was a watershed in the struggle for equality for African-Americans. Return to Mississippi retells the story of the murders and the trial that ensued events upon which the feature film Mississippi Burning was based. more »
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A biography of the dynamic but quiet African American woman whose refusal to give up her seat on a bus led to dramatic changes in the sixties. more »
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The discovery of sugar cane in the New World became the basis for a flourishing rum industry in the Caribbean. This film provides a lively social and cultural history of the industry, which for years depended on slave labor more »
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This richly illustrated film uses the paintings and writings of the Afro-Cuban artist Wifredo Lam along with interviews with authorities on art and Caribbean culture to trace the evolution of a unique and truly multicultural twentieth century artist. more »
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In this important historical film, the grim details of the slave trade are made real for a modern audience. more »
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This is the story of St. Augustine's, a Catholic school in the South Bronx. The school's pastor and a gifted music teacher committed the school to a curriculum specializing in the arts with remarkably positive results. more »
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A richly illustrated account of the 15th Century voyages that opened European trade with Africa and Asia.(in 2 parts) more »
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Quilting is interwoven with the history of black women in America. We meet ebullient women and see their colorful creations, which link them to their past. more »
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This historical documentary chronicles the risky but successful effort of a few women working at Delta Pride Catfish to organize a union at their plant. The mostly black female workforce had worked in noisy and wet factories for minimum wage and without benefits. more »
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This compelling documentary is about rap as it is declaimed in the streets of New York, straight up -- without music. The young people demonstrate that their grim surroundings have not killed their ability to express their political thoughts. more »
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This powerful film focuses on issues of race, culture and identity in families in which there have been transracial adoptions. more »
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Suzanne Bonnar was the mixed-race child of a black American serviceman and a Scotswoman from a small seaside town. She grew up without her father -- a black child in white Scotland. In this very moving film, she re-unites with her father and journeys with him to meet her close-knit black family in South Carolina. more »
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This film was inspired by the true story of two African-American men on death row. The younger man is being coached to read by the older man, who implores him to fail an IQ test in order to save his life. more »
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This film shares the story of Madame C.J. Walker, the daughter of slaves who became America's first self-made millionairess. more »
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This is a touching portrait of one of the first and foremost photographers of black American life, who set up shop in Harlem and spent sixty years taking stunningly direct pictures there. more »
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A film about a surprising friendship which emerged between an embittered Ku Klux Klan leader and an outspoken black woman activist. more »
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The experiences of a generation of African-American women during the Great Migration north are described in this engaging portrait of a 77-year old washroom attendant. more »
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This personal film explores what it means to navigate racial identity in America as the filmmaker recounts the story of his own family across generations. His father's experience as a Jewish professor at a black college influences the filmmaker as he contemplates the i"preferred" race of the baby he and his wife hope to adopt. more »
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Willa Beatrice Brown was the first African American woman in the U.S. to be a licensed pilot. Her
efforts were responsible for Congress' forming the renowned Tuskegee Airmen squadron, leading to the integration of the U.S. military service in 1948. more »
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Filmed in the stately mansions of New Orleans, Yes, Ma'am shows the role of the black domestic workers in keeping up the gracious lifestyle so closely associated with the old South. more »
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