HISTORY REMAINS THE SAME

"True Justice"

In this documentary, Bryan Stevenson lays out his fight for equality in the criminal justice system.

13th

Kamala discusses transgender rights in correctional facilities, economic reform for working people, speaking truth, student loan debt, debt-free college, predatory colleges/lending, criminal justice reform, and much more. (Jan. 21 2019)

Freedom Riders

Based on Raymond Arsenault's book Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice, this two-hour documentary tells the story of the summer of 1961 when more than 400 Black and white Americans risked their lives traveling together in the segregated South to protest segregation.

Dark Girls

Dark Girls is a fascinating and controversial documentary film that goes underneath the surface to explore the prejudices that dark-skinned women face throughout the world. It explores the roots of classism, racism and the lack of self-esteem within a segment of cultures that span from America to the most remote corners of the globe.

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975

The Black Power Mixtape tells part of the story of the Black Power Movement through the eyes of a Swedish journalist. The journalist recorded interviews with Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Steale, Eldridge Cleaver, and Angela Davis.

Many Rivers to Cross

Written and presented by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., director of W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University, this six-hour series explores the evolution of the African-American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives they developed - forging their own history, culture and society against unimaginable odds. Commencing with the origins of slavery in Africa, the series moves through five centuries of remarkable historic events right up to the time when America was led by a black president, yet remained a nation deeply divided by race.

The series is available on PBS and Amazon. There is no longer an avaiable trailer but here is a panel discussion with the Brookings Institute where they discuss the series.

Slavery by Another Name

Did Slavery really end with the Civil War? The documentary Slavery by Another Name explores how in the years following the Emancipation Proclamation, systematic approaches were taken to re-enslave newly freed Blacks in the United States. Giving voice to the thousands of victims from this period, Slavery by Another Name will challenge assumptions that slavery ended 150 years ago.

Eyes on the Prize

For the preeminent documentary series on the Civil Rights Movement, look no further than Eyes on the Prize. When it premiered on television in 1987, The Los Angeles Times called it “an exhaustive documentary that shouldn’t be missed.”  Not only does this series serve as a comprehensive resource in this extensive history, it acts to preserve their testimonials for future generations.

Soundtrack for a Revolution

This documentary examines the importance of music during the U.S. civil rights movement that took place during the 1950s and '60s. The various sit-ins and public demonstrations of the era incorporated protest songs, folk tunes and spirituals, music that was a crucial part of the movement. Using archival footage and interviews to connect specific songs to specific events, such as the Montgomery bus boycott.

King in the Wilderness

King in the Wilderness chronicles the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. While the Black Power movement saw his nonviolence as weakness, and President Lyndon B. Johnson saw his anti-Vietnam War speeches as irresponsible, Dr. King’s unyielding belief in peaceful protest became a testing point for a nation on the brink of chaos.

All Power to the People

This is the first feature length documentary to explore the Black Panther Party, its significance to the broader American culture, its cultural and political awakening for black people, and the painful lessons wrought when a movement derails. Master documentarian Stanley Nelson goes straight to the source, weaving a treasure trove of rare archival footage with the voices of the people who were there: police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters and detractors, and Black Panthers who remained loyal to the party and those who left it.

Mississippi: A Self Portrait

a 2012 documentary film about Booker Wright, an African-American waiter who worked in a restaurant for whites only. In 1965, Wright appeared in Mississippi: A Self Portrait, a short NBC television documentary about racism in the American South. During his interview he spoke openly about racism, and his treatment as a waiter in an all-white restaurant. The broadcast of his remarks had catastrophic consequences for Wright.