Film and Television
20Film and TelevisionGil L. Robertson IV • African Americans in Film• African Americans in Television• Filmography of Selected Feature Films and Documentaries• Actors Filmmakers and Film and Television Executives• Award Winners
20Film and TelevisionGil L. Robertson IV • African Americans in Film• African Americans in Television• Filmography of Selected Feature Films and Documentaries• Actors, Filmmakers, and Film and Television Executives• Award Winners Source for information on Film and Television: African American Almanac dictionary.
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Gil L. Robertson IV

• African Americans in Film

• African Americans in Television

• Filmography of Selected Feature Films and Documentaries

• Actors, Filmmakers, and Film and Television Executives

• Award Winners

As the foremost medium for creative expression, cinema yields a great deal of power and influence in defining images that shape humanity. Although primarily seen as a form of entertainment, it plays a significant role in the manner in which society views itself and the world around it. With regards to the representation of African Americans in cinema, the medium has largely failed in illuminating images that reflect the complete diversity of that experience. Instead, it has largely focused on images that devalue African Americans by confining their representation within an ideological web of myths, stereotypes, and caricatures.

The experiences of African Americans in television have been somewhat less limiting than those realized in film. This has been due, in part, to the fact that television sought to capture an African American audience from the outset. In fact, many of the medium’s earliest participants such as Steve Allen publicly stated that the medium’s success would certainly benefit by the inclusion of African American performers. Therefore, beginning with the medium’s widespread use in the late 1940s and into the present day, television has provided some unique avenues of expression for African Americans in acting, production, and executive roles.

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN FILM

THE SILENT FILM ERA

Beginning with the inception of the “moving camera” in the 1890s, African American images in cinema have been positioned, marginalized, and subordinated in every possible manner to glorify and relentlessly hold to America’s status quo. In 1898, the first African Americans appeared in film as soldiers heading for battle in the Spanish-American War. Soon afterwards though, the depiction of African Americans began to mirror the racial stereotypes of that time, appearing as criminals, ministers, and, during the period in which American society grew sentimental for the Civil War era, as slaves. The most provocative film of the era in which African Americans were depicted in servitude was D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915).

Released at the end of the silent film era, The Birth of a Nation unleashed a tremendous amount of ire and controversy that is still discussed in cinematic circles. Although its release represented a technical and artistic triumph for the film community, its unabashed message of racial intolerance and embellished, stereotypical images of African Americans has become symbolic of the tremendous obstacles that African Americans face in cinema. Although other films such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1909) and The Nigger (1915) drew upon the same anti-African American propaganda, The Birth of a Nation, due to its technological significance, stands out as a fundamental reference to cinema’s position on African American images.

REDEFINING AFRICAN AMERICAN IMAGES

In response to the popularity of such films, African Americans during the 1910s and 1920s formed independent film projects and production companies in order to create more realistic images of the African American culture.

Perhaps the best known African American filmmaker of this period is Oscar Micheaux, who managed to generate financial profits from more than 30 silent and sound features that his private studio released. Utilizing a similar distribution system to that created by African American film producer Noble Johnson, Micheaux personally delivered films to movie theaters across the country, edited films on the road, and obtained money from theater owners by having actors give private performances from scenes of upcoming releases. Despite the fact that many of his films suffered from poor technical skills, Micheaux’s expert abilities as a promoter earned him a sizeable following. (Always daring, Micheaux turned the tables on Hollywood by casting his light-skinned actors to play whites in several of his films.) In 1924 the Micheaux movie Body and Soul featured Paul Robeson in his film debut.

After recovering from bankruptcy, Micheaux released The Exile in 1931—the first African American feature-length sound movie—and God’s Stepchildren (1937), among other “talkies.” As tastes began to shift from what were called “race productions” though, Micheaux saw his audience dwindle. His final film released in 1948, a three-hour epic titled The Betrayal, was a commercial failure. While many of his films have been lost, Micheaux maintained control of his prized works, ensuring that they were protected as the legal property of his wife.

There were other African American pioneer film-makers of this time period—some of whose efforts predated Micheaux’s. William “Bill” Foster began using “all-colored” casts in a number of short films in 1913. Through his Foster Photoplay Company, he released several films, the most notable of which were The Railroad Porter, The Butler, and The Grafter and the Maid. Although Foster genuinely believed in the viability of launching an African American movie company, attempting to secure technical and financial support, not to mention distribution outlets, soon brought about his company’s demise.

Headed by Noble Johnson, the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, which was established in the summer of 1915, was perhaps the first company to produce significant films featuring black performers for African American audiences. The company released several films that depicted African Americans in a common, natural manner. In response to distribution problems that often plagued African American studios, Johnson worked out a commission system that engaged African American media personnel across the United States to utilize their business relationships with movie theater owners and show his films. By doing so, Johnson was able to produce such films as The Realization of a Negro’s Ambition (1916), The Trooper of Company K (1917), and The Law of Nature (1918). Though somewhat successful, this system could not compete with major Hollywood studios, and after Johnson’s defection to Universal Films, the company soon folded.

Another early African American film pioneer was Emmett J. Scott. A former secretary to Tuskegee Institute founder Booker T. Washington, Scott believed that African American cinema could be financially supported through the sale of stock in his production company. Incorporated in July 1916, his Birth of a Race Photoplay Corporation produced The Birth of a Race and released the film in December 1918. Although the film did not meet original expectations, it did succeed in establishing a capital-raising tool that would prove instrumental to future African American filmmakers.

In addition, many other African American entrepreneurs took the gamble on producing films with varying degrees of success. The Frederick Douglass Film Company premiered its first film The Colored American Winning His Suit in 1916. In 1920, the Royal Gardens Film Company presented In the Depths of Our Hearts, and in 1921 the ex-heavyweight champion Jack Johnson starred in As the World Rolls On for Andlauer Productions. In each case, however, the African American entrepreneurs behind these ventures succumbed to the insurmountable obstacles dealt to them because of racism.

BREAKING INTO MAINSTREAM SOUND FILMS

Prior to the sound era of cinema, many film producers used white actors in “blackface,” or burnt-cork makeup, to portray blacks. As a means of capturing the distinctive dialect and cadence of African Americans though, most producers began to employ African American actors for such limited roles during the new era of sound film. Though short “talkies” by other white filmmakers depicted African Americans in a more authentic manner, little else changed for African American performers, generally appearing as criminals and domestic servants, among other roles. In fact, the film widely heralded for utilizing sound in film The Jazz Singer (1927) starred exvaudevillian Al Jolson singing in “blackface.”

One favorable change for African American performers during this era was the establishment of the movie musical. From the late 1920s through the 1940s, countless movie musicals were made and featured African American performers. For the fortunate few, singing in a film was a real achievement—not only did it guarantee work on a project, but it also enabled performers to showcase broader talents. As the film community reveled in its latest trend, many multitalented African American performers—such as Lena Horne—were discovered.

Already gaining impressive notoriety for her beauty and singing talent, Horne’s film career actually began with the black independent film The Duke Is Tops as well as some short films. Lured to Hollywood in 1942 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a major role in Panama Hattie, Horne became the first African American performer awarded a major studio contract.

Lena Horne faced some unusual circumstances in Hollywood, though, due to her physical appearance. As a light-skinned African American with long flowing hair, she was viewed by many as something other than black. However, as a staunch supporter of her ethnicity, the actress refused to sacrifice pride in her heritage—such as playing demeaning roles as a slave or servant—for greater opportunities of film stardom. As a result, Horne only appeared in two other major films Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. Beyond these works, Horne’s brief film career mostly consisted of musical numbers that could easily be edited in order to appease Southern viewing audiences.

Another notable performer whose breakthrough came during this era was actor Paul Robeson. Widely respected for his work as a stage actor, Robeson went on to play important roles in nine feature films between 1929 and 1942. By sheer force of talent and charisma, Robeson succeeded where many others had failed in consistently securing roles that were central to the theme of the film. In such classic dramas as The Emperor Jones, the musical Show Boat, and the British film The Proud Valley, Robeson created characters that challenged film barriers of that time. Unfortunately, the barriers of prejudice and stereotype continued to exist, and Robeson, after consistently being denied roles worthy of his talent, abandoned Hollywood to pursue a concert career.

AFRICAN AMERICAN ACTORS ENDURE RACIAL STEREOTYPES

Throughout the pantheon of early Hollywood cinema perhaps no other African American caricature was as well-entrenched as the “mammy” figure. Often the source of comic relief, these characters populated films from around 1914 through the late 1950s. No two performers better embodied that image than Louise Beavers and Hattie McDaniel, since physically, they both met the industry’s standards. Although Beavers and McDaniel both enjoyed lengthy film careers, neither was able to discard this stereotype. Beavers, who is best known for her role in the 1934 film version of Imitation of Life, also appeared in over 120 films. McDaniel, who earned an Academy Award in 1939 for her role in Gone with the Wind, appeared in more than 300 films. Despite the stereotypical roles that each performed, Beavers and McDaniel were both well-respected and seen as successful members of the Hollywood film community.

Between the late 1920s through the mid-1940s, many other African American performers were successful in establishing film careers. Although virtually all had to suffer through gross indignities in pursuit of careers, they nevertheless contributed to the growing African American presence in mainstream films. These actors and actresses included Earl “Rochester” Anderson, Rex Ingram, Ethel Waters, and Nina Mae McKinney.

WORLD WAR II PROPAGANDA FILMS STRIVE FOR RACIAL HARMONY

With the advent of World War II, leaders of the Civil Rights movement of the early twentieth century seized the opportunity to press the U.S. government to address racial injustice including providing equal opportunity in wartime industry and the military. At the same time, such activist groups as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) lobbied Hollywood for better film roles for African Americans.

In response, the U.S. War Department produced the groundbreaking film The Negro Soldier in 1944. At the same time, Hollywood produced movies that depicted a racially-integrated military, years before President Truman’s Executive Order No. 9981 mandated desegregation of the armed forces. For example, in Crash Dive, African American actor Ben Carter is shown saving the life of the film’s star, Tyrone Power. In the film Lifeboat African American actor Canada Lee is shown among a shipwrecked group of civilians whose ship has been destroyed by enemy fire.

Later in the war, the U.S. government commissioned several short civilian films that expressed the theme of racial harmony. One such effort was The House I Live In, which won an Oscar Award for best short film in 1947. Documentaries of this period also reflected a liberal attitude toward race relations shortly after wartime. For example, documentarians Loeb and Levitt produced the work The Quiet One in 1948 that depicted the concerted effort put forth by white social workers in dealing with disadvantaged black juveniles.

BLACKS IN POSTWAR AMERICAN FILMS

Films made in post-war America began to feature African Americans in multidimensional roles, as well as more integrated into American life. In fact, a number of films that were released in the late 1940s through the mid-1960s presented African Americans with families, careers, and working towards goals of a better life. Thus, Hollywood films sought, if only slightly, to broaden the scope of the African American experience. One significant cause was the increasing degree of political and economic influence wielded by the African American community.

Making his film debut in the 1950 drama No Way Out Sidney Poitier became the cinematic model for integration. Consistently depicted as an educated, intelligent, and well-mannered black man, Hollywood was quick to capitalize on Poitier’s appeal. With film credits that include Cry, the Beloved Country (1951), The Defiant Ones (1958), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), and In the Heat of the Night (1967), Poitier became Hollywood’s first bonafide African American film star. In 1963, he won the Academy Award in the best actor category—the first by an African American—for his lead role in Lilies of the Field.

Though Poitier’s success symbolized the changing industry standards for African American performers during the course of the next two decades, his stardom did not come without a price. Although positioned as a leading actor, Poitier’s characterizations often lacked human dimension. For instance, in all but three of the films made during this period, Poitier was never allowed to exhibit any degree of sexuality. Nonetheless, Poitier’s career heralded greater acceptance of black actors as equals to their white counterparts.

In 1954, film actress Dorothy Dandridge became the first African American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award in the best actress category for her role in Carmen Jones. With unrivaled talent and beauty, it seemed that Dandridge would become the female counterpart to Poitier’s leading African American man. However, she was unable to ever find a subsequent role offering the same dimensions as Carmen Jones. While Dandridge repeatedly demonstrated dramatic ability and landed a respectable contract with Twentieth Century Fox, the industry mainly only cast her in films as an exotic native. When the pressures of battling the film industry proved too much, Dandridge drifted from the Hollywood scene and in 1965 died of an apparent suicide.

In the case of actor Harry Belafonte, Hollywood was faced with another dilemma. A naturally romantic hero, the film industry found it difficult to contain Belafonte’s sexuality. Similar to Dandridge whom he starred opposite in Carmen Jones and Island in the Sun, Belafonte’s career was therefore largely confined to playing an island native and other unflattering roles. After performing in Odds Against Tomorrow, The World, the Flesh, and the Devil, and Buck and the Preacher, Belafonte began a successful career as a concert performer and prominent civil rights spokesperson, selecting future film projects only with great discretion.

Many other actors and actresses enjoyed success in films and mainstream acceptance. Among those who made a real impact during this period were Diana Sands, Ruby Dee, and Brock Peters. Along with Poitier, Dandridge, and Belafonte, their films marked the advent of the 1960s Civil Rights movement.

BLAXPLOITATION FILMS

During the 1960s Civil Rights movement and the war in Vietnam, American society was in the midst of a cultural revolution. As a result, films began to reflect the political and social changes brought about by the period’s harsh, challenging ideology. Director Melvin Van Peebles’s seminal 1971 African American-action film Sweet Sweet-back’s Baadasssss Song seemed to define, more than any other film, this era—one marked with contempt for white social order and its police.

In the wake of the enormous success of Peebles’s films, Hollywood rushed to produce similar movies that would capture this new African American audience. Although some of the African American action films, most notably Shaft (1971), Superfly (1972), and Coffy (1973), experienced a great deal of commercial success, this trend was soon dubbed “blaxploitation” by the African American media. In pursuit of increased profits though, Hollywood even remade blaxploitation films from classic horror movies—Blacula and Blackenstein, both in 1972.

Along with the popularity of African American action films was the emergence of a new wave of serious African American-oriented dramas. While most of these films failed to meet their initial expectations, a number of others did—the 1969 releases of The Learning Tree, Slaves, Putney Swope, and Sounder (1972) to name a few.

Finally, more African Americans worked in Hollywood than ever before during this period—many behind the camera as well. Such screenwriters as Richard Wesley, Bill Gunn, and Lonne Elder and directors Gordon Parks Sr., Gordon Parks Jr., Michael Schultz, and Stan Lathan were all called upon to participate in the making of major studio films.

TRANSITIONS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM

Although Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr.’s impact on the American music industry is legendary, little credit has been given to him as a film producer/director. Under his Motown Films banner, Gordy produced several films, the most successful being the 1972 release Lady Sings the Blues starring Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams. Gordy’s pairing of them was the first time that African American performers were presented as romantic icons. Gordy’s 1976 film Mahogany was also the first to feature an African American actress as glamorous, independent, and sexual.

African American comedians were enjoying enormous film success as well. Richard Pryor emerged in the late 1970s as a film icon. Best known for his often provocative, iconoclastic stand-up routines, Pryor rose to superstardom through supporting role appearances. After appearing opposite Gene Wilder in the 1976 buddy film Silver Streak, Pryor continued to exhibit box-office clout in such films as Greased Lightning, Which Way Is Up, and Bustin’ Loose. He later returned to the stage where his two live concert films permanently sealed his position in film history. Other comedians, notably Eddie Murphy in the terrifically successful movie 48 Hours (1982) later benefitted from Pryor’s success.

NEW AFRICAN AMERICAN CINEMA EMERGES

Towards the mid-1980s African American actors and actresses appeared to be running on empty. With the roles offered by the blaxploitation era long gone, stereotypes of the past began to reemerge. The tragic mulatto, a well-used cinematic device once again appeared as such actresses as Rae Dawn Chong (American Flyers), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), and Lisa Bonet (Angel Heart) were cast in roles that made no discernable mention of their ethnicity. In addition, the African American musical made a brief resurgence in the films Beat Street, Krush Groove, The Last Dragon, The Cotton Club, and Purple Rain.

Another trend that enjoyed renewed popularity in cinema was “buddy movies.” Although cinematic history is filled with various pairings of black and white performers,

the film industry in the 1980s perfected the trend with enormous box-office success. Some notable buddy film pairings included Carl Weathers and Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky films and Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in the Lethal Weapon series.

Meanwhile, a low-budget independent film was released by a recent New York University Film School graduate named Spike Lee. The release She’s Gotta Have It resulted in the resurgence of African American cinema. Lee managed to gain large audiences for most of his commercial ventures and directed a string of successful Hollywood films including one of the most politically-charged films of the era, Do the Right Thing (1989).

Spike Lee’s box-office successes, coupled with the achievements of University of Southern California Film School graduate John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Poetic Justice, and Rosewood) and comedian turned actor/director Robert Townsend, (Hollywood Shuffle and The Five Heartbeats) seemed to guarantee a viable future for African American filmmakers. Along with the filmmakers,

African American actors in Hollywood began to gain steady work.

PROMISING FUTURE AWAITS AFRICAN AMERICANS IN FILM

The beginning of the new millenium showed great promise for African American talent in film. For the first time in history African American actors were able to establish solid careers in cinema. Among others, Angela Bassett, Halle Barry, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Freeman, Samuel Jackson, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, and Alfre Woodard created a lasting impact on the tapestry of film. A fresh and exciting new crop of talented actors like Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan, and directors Malcolm Lee, Patrick Famuyiwa, and Gina Prince-Bythewood, also seemed well on their way to major movie careers.

The proliferation of music artists crossing over into film had grown tremendously. Ice Cube, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, and especially Will Smith built strongly on their pre-2000 track records. Their multi-media successes spawned opportunities for a new generation of music talent like rappers DMX (Exit Wounds) and Eve (Barbershop), as well as singer Beyoncé Knowles (Austin Powers in Gold-member) and the late Aaliyah (Queen of the Dammed).

Action films also broke new ground, producing not one, but two stars of African American descent. The international success of films The Mummy Returns and Scorpion King turned World Wrestling Entertainment champion The Rock into a major star. Meanwhile the box office success of films like The Fast and the Furious and XXX catapulted Afro-Italian actor Vin Diesel into the exclusive $20 million club as an actor.

Perhaps the most surprising change took place during the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony when Denzel Washington (Training Day) and Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball) each won Oscars for lead roles. Never had a black woman won for best actress, and only the great Sidney Poitier—40 years earlier—had received the best actor Oscar. As more African American performers gained responsibility for defining African American images in cinema, opportunities for black actors, filmmakers, and industry executives during the twenty-first century seemed to be very promising.

NEW MILLENNIUM OPPORTUNITIES

In the year following Denzel Washington and Halle Berry’s historic wins at the Oscars, opportunities continued to remain mixed for African Americans in Hollywood. Although established talent like Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Queen Latifah continued to enjoyed robust job prospects within the film industry, the majority of African American talent was not as fortunate. With her Oscar in hand, even Halle Berry was unable to leverage the career options bestowed to her white counterparts. In the next year, however, represented a turn around to Black Hollywood with the release of several studio and independent films featuring African American themes and talent, the most notable of which was the film Ray. Starring Jamie Foxx and based on the life of the blind Soul music icon, the film was released in the US on October 29, 2004, the film earned more than $75,000,000 at the U.S. box office. Added to film’s financial success was an Oscar win for Foxx in the Best Actor category. Other notable films released in 2004 included: Hotel Rwanda, Woman Art Thou Lose, Brother to Brother and Badasssss.

Perhaps one of the most important trends to be embraced by the African American film community has been the independent sphere of the film industry. Independent films were by definition films made outside the traditional studio system, although by the beginning of the millennium more studios set up “independent divisions” which guaranteed greater visibility and stronger box office. Oscar nominated director John Singleton was the first to make good use of the trend by producing the successful independent film Hustle & Flow in 2005. After earning over $25,000,000 at the U.S. box office, and

making a mainstream star out of Terrence Howard, the film became a model that others in Black Hollywood began to follow, including a playwright name Tyler Perry.

Building on his established following on the black theatre circuit in 2005, Perry partnered with the fledgling independent studio Lion’s Gate to release his first film Diary of A Mad Black Woman. Earning more than $50,000,000 at the U.S. box office the Perry film established the commercial viability of independent films. In 2006, Perry cemented the reach of black independent films when his second movie Madea’s Family Reunion earned over $60,000,000 a precedent setting sum for an African American film, independent or otherwise.

As if to prove that big studio films could still compete in an expanding marketplace, in 2006 mainline studio Universal Pictures released Inside Man from director Spike Lee, which earned the seminal director his first 100 million dollar grossing film.

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

In 2003, a group of African American film critics launched the African American Film Critic’s Association (AAFCA), the first organization of its kind in the film industry. Much like the Foreign Press Association and the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics, the AAFCA platform creates awareness for films produced, written, directed and starring talent of African descent. Like the other groups, AAFCA issues an annual Top 10 List comprised of films release during a calendar year. Since its inception, the nationwide body has attracted a cross section of prominent entertainment media who represent print, TV, radio and online.

BRITISH INVASION

Much like their Anglo counterparts, British actors of African descent have also performed well in the film industry. Sine the mid-1990’s British actors of African descent have been making inroads in American films. In 1996 British actress Marianne Jean Baptist earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Secrets & Lies. The influx of Afro-British talent to the film industry has continued into the new millennium with the arrival of actors like Idris Elba (The Gospel, Daddy’s Little Girl), Thandie Newton (Mission Impossible 2, The Pursuit of Happyness), Eamonn Walker (Tears of the Sun) and Chiwetel Ejofor (Kinky Boots, Inside Man).

HOME ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS

The growing acceptance of DVD and other Home Entertainment options have provided blacks in film with additional growth opportunities in the new millennium. With an increasing market share, Home Entertainment properties have not only substantially increased employment options for blacks in films, but also provide increased platforms for African American themed entertainment properties. Every studio in the film industry now has Home Entertainment divisions that produce and acquires content for the Home Entertainment market. However, the leader in terms of providing African American content is Codeblack Entertainment.

Established in June 2005, by industry veteran Jeffrey Clanagan, Codeblack has made in-roads in the development of African American themed content. With more than 30 titles currently on the market, the company recently entered into full-scale film production to further advance African American themes and talent in films.

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TELEVISION

THE EARLY YEARS OF TELEVISION

Largely due to the fact that many of the new medium’s early stars were lifted from popular radio programs, African American performers began to make advancements within television almost from the start. For example, entertainer and pianist Bob Howard was included in the CBS network’s evening broadcast. Another gifted entertainer, jazz pianist Hazel Scott, had her own 15-minute broadcast three days a week. African American performers also appeared on variety and game shows, such as Your Show of Shows, All Star Revue, Strike it Rich, and High Finance, throughout the late 1940s and into the 1950s. On the ABC television network, musician Billy Daniels was given his own short-lived variety show in the fall of 1952.

Although television did not make use of all the same stereotypes that cinema employed, many negative caricatures did arise. As the medium began to rebroadcast feature films and shorts that appeared in theaters, many grossly unflattering portrayals of African Americans began to appear on television. In fact, such shorts as Hal Roach’s Our Gang/Little Rascals became television mainstays.

In 1950, veteran actress Ethel Waters appeared on the first television show in which an African American was the central figure. As the star of Beulah for the first two seasons, the popular show centered on the weekly trials and tribulations of a black maid or “mammy”—a supporting character on the popular Fibber McGee and Molly radio show. (Beulah ran until 1953, when protests by the NAACP and other activist groups forced its cancellation.)

Other numerous former radio performers quickly followed in Waters’s wake including Eddie “Rochester” Anderson who played opposite Jack Benny on The Jack Benny Show and Willie Best who was a regularly featured performer on The Trouble with Father and Oh My Little Margie. In 1953 actress Lillian Randolph began to reprise the role of a maid that she played on radio for the television series Make Room for Daddy. Later, she appeared in the television show Great Gildersleeve.

Perhaps no other television show, though, created as much controversy for its negative stereotyping of African Americans as the Amos n’ Andy show. Based on the very popular 1930s and 1940s radio show Amos n’ Andy ran from 1951 to 1953. The show was perceived by many, both black and white, as an offensive reminder of the past, and the NAACP initiated lawsuits and boycott threats that were critical in forcing the show’s cancellation. After the series was cancelled though, it continued to appear in syndication until the mid-1960s.

Thoughout the early 1950s, variety shows hosted by veteran white entertainers, such as Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, and Steve Allen, occasionally featured African American entertainers. But in 1956, NBC took the bold step of creating a slot for the variety program The Nat King Cole Show. Although the variety format had always been very popular with television viewers, and Cole’s recording success was undeniable, the network was unable to secure regular sponsors, especially after Cole touched the arm of a white female guest. The show was cancelled after its first season.

COMMERCIAL TELEVISION REACTS TO THE 1960S

Throughout the late 1950s and into the 1960s, African Americans appeared in many serious documentaries concerning rural poverty, segregation, and the Civil Rights movement led by the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The powerful medium of television provided King and the other leaders the opportunity to increase the white viewing audience’s awareness of their civil rights cause.

Commercial television reacted to the changing political, social, and economic climate in the United States much the same way that cinema did—by including more African American performers in its programming. Ensemble television shows soon began to feature African American performers: Otis Young appeared in The Outcast; Greg Morris starred in Mission Impossible; and Nichelle Nichols was featured in Star Trek. However, the most dramatic changes in television’s positioning of African American talent occurred when Sheldon Leonard hired Bill Cosby as one of two leads to star in the 1965 television show I Spy and actress Diahann Carroll was featured as a widowed nurse and single mother in the drama Julia.

While the show only lasted three seasons, I Spy marked the first time that an African American television actor was so widely accepted by television viewers—primarily for his inoffensive, perfect image. Consequently, Cosby earned three Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the character, Alexander Scott. Lasting from 1968 to 1971, Julia presented Carroll as an African American woman seemingly detached from the reality of the lives led by most African Americans. Though popular with the majority viewing audience, the show was criticized for its bland depiction of an African American. Others, however, viewed Carroll’s character as an improvement over past characterizations of African Americans on television.

Blacks also began to appear on television in roles opposite whites in ways that had never before been possible. Harlem Detective featured black and white actors cast as equals on the police force. Eastside/Westside and The Nurses featured African American actresses Cicely Tyson and Hilda Simms, respectively, in regularly featured roles. Praised for its more balanced portrayal of African Americans, Eastside/Westside unfortunately lasted only one season.

As the first successful African American television variety show, The Flip Wilson Show was the first weekly program by an African American to feature “racial comedy” as

a form of general audience entertainment. The show’s rousing success paved the way for the development of the future African American situation comedies.

THE PRESENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS ON TELEVISION EXPANDS

During the 1970s television producers, such as Norman Lear with All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and Good Times and Bud Yorkin with What’s Happenin’ and Carter Country, created comedy programming to appeal to African American audiences. Though these shows flourished and made the African American presence on television commonplace, critics referred to them as “new minstrelsy” and derided their perpetuation of stereotypical aspects of African American humor.

One of the most significant changes occurred in children’s television programming. The public television series Sesame Street featured a multiracial mix of children and adults interacting and learning. In addition, animated programs or cartoons, such as Bill Cosby’s Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1989) and the Jackson Five, depicted events in the lives of young African American characters.

In the category of drama, notably made-for-television movies and miniseries, two productions stood out among the rest in the 1970s—The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) and Roots (1977). Starring actress Cicely Tyson, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman was set in 1962 and spanned the life of a 110-year old African American woman from the era of slavery to the 1960s Civil Rights movement. For her outstanding efforts, Tyson was awarded an Emmy for best lead actress in a drama-special program. Based on the Alex Haley novel, Roots was the highest-rated miniseries ever, attracting an estimated 130 million viewers. Featuring such prominent African American actors as Louis Gossett Jr., Cicely Tyson, and Maya Angelou, the eight-part epic movie traced Haley’s family history from Africa to slavery in the American South.

THE COSBY DECADE

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, African American actors continued to appear in stereotypical comedies or made-for-television movies with few exceptions. In 1984, however, veteran entertainer Bill Cosby returned to television with a half-hour series called The Cosby Show. Although expected to do well, few could have predicted the level of the show’s popularity. Consistently rated the top weekly television program, The Cosby Show ran for eight seasons and created tremendous opportunities for African American performers. While the phenomenal success of the Roots miniseries had proven that all-African American television vehicles could attract a large viewing audience, The Cosby Show demonstrated that an audience of similar proportions would also regularly support an entertaining, family-oriented program centered on African Americans as well.

In the wake of The Cosby Show’s success, an increasing number of African Americans began producing more African American-themed shows in the late 1980s. Actor Frank Reid produced and starred in the short-lived, Emmy Award-winning show Frank’s Place. Choreographer Debbie Allen produced The Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, which depicted academic life at a historical African American university. In addition, Quincy Jones produced The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air starring rap artist Will Smith, and In Living Color, which was produced by comedian Keenan Ivory Wayans and featured many talented members of the Wayans family.

BURGEONING TELEVISION NETWORKS TARGET AFRICAN AMERICAN AUDIENCES

Black Entertainment Television (BET) Holdings, Inc., which began operations in the 1980s, became the first African American-controlled cable entertainment company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in the 1990s. Led by industry giant Robert Johnson, BET targets an estimated 45 million subscribers nationwide by providing original programming on its three cable television channels—BET Cable Network, BET on Jazz, and BET Movies/Starz!3. In addition, the company has diversified its holdings by publishing magazines, marketing clothes and cosmetics, and forming a partnership with Microsoft to offer MSBET, an online service that provides entertainment information to the growing number of African Americans using the Internet. Citing a need to expand market share, as well as improve ad revenue, Robert Johnson sold the pioneering network to Viacom Holdings in November 2000. Although this move was not expected to affect programming, it did mark the end of African American ownership of any major TV concern.

While African American programs have become an increasing rarity on the major television networks which have begun to concentrate on offerings that deliver them the widest possible audience share, the launch of several networks brought new promise for African Americans. Clearly understanding the financial gain that could result, such upstart television networks as Fox, Warner Brothers (WB), and United Paramount Network (UPN) began to vigorously court African American audiences in the 1990s. Such highly-rated programs as Roc, Living Single, Martin, as well as many others were major hits with both black and young white television viewers.

Finally, in the areas of daytime and late night talk shows, several African Americans attained widespread acceptance for the first time in television history: Oprah Winfrey and Montel Williams have produced Emmy Award-winning daytime shows, while Arsenio Hall successfully led many imitators in attempting to revitalize the late night talk show format.

THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TELEVISION

As the television industry headed into the twenty-first century, more African Americans than ever before were involved in television—in acting, production, and executive roles. However, while African Americans have continued to enjoy success in comedic television vehicles, no primetime dramatic series has made it beyond a full television season since the 1970s. Instead, the trend is for African American performers to be cast in ensemble shows, such as ER, Touched by an Angel, and NYPD Blue. Although most of these shows integrate their African American cast members into their stories well, many African American performers fear that their singular voice is being diluted by an increasingly multiethnic array of characters.

This brand of programming has received mixed reviews from the NAACP and other minority watchdog groups, who in recent years have challenged the networks on the lack of diversity in their programming. In an attempt to counter such fallout, during the 2001 TV season network programmers introduced two new sitcoms (My Wife and Kids and The Bernie Mac Show) which enjoyed solid ratings and whose success could even spark another “Black Renaissance” on TV.

On the other hand, the monopolies once held by the major networks have in recent years been overrun by the growing cable market, which has increased opportunities for Black talent. Cable programming has countered traditional TV programming with a brand of engaging and often provocative shows that have attracted viewers away from the major networks, as seen by the success of regularly scheduled shows like OZ, Soul Food and The Shield, and made-for-TV films like Feast of All Saints, Boycott, and The Corner. Although the sale of BET in November 2000, left a void in terms of black ownership within this market, the cable market does appear to be offering African American talent great growth opportunities as we settle into the new millenium.

Launched amidst great fanfare in January of 1995, the creation of the UPN and WB networks brought new promise for African Americans in Television. Both networks’ early programming delivered alternative viewing options to traditional television fare. With a line-up of shows that stressed diversity and leaned heavily on urban themed programming like Moesha, The Wayans Brothers, For Your Love, and The Steve Harvey Show, both networks were soon well established in the marketplace. Ironically, just as their reputations became established, both networks began to abandon their urban programming initiatives in favor of more “mainstream” fare. Although the UPN has continued to maintain a night dedicated to urban comedies, the network has consistently come under fire from watchdog groups for the stereotypical content being portrayed.

CHANGING FACES IN TELEVISION

Television in the new millennium presented expanded options for African Americans. The growing popularity of cable television created a demand for niche market programming that introduced alternative viewing choices for African Americans audiences. Although the largest share of this market is controlled by BET (which in 2001 was acquired by media giant Viacom), two additional channels (the Black Family Channel in 1999 and TV One in 2004) were launched, which increased competition and variety in the opportunity for African American in television.

Another major development in the new millennium was the merger of the WB and UPN networks into the CW channel. Although this move resulted in the cancellation of a number of African American themed shows, it also represented expanded viewership for other African American themed series like the Tyra Banks Show and TV producer Mara Brock-Akil’s hit shows Girlfriends and The Game.

SHIFTING TRENDS IN THE TV MARKET

The most influential genre to hit the TV market in the new millennium has been the advent of “reality programming”. Although originally used to describe that feature ordinary (non-actors) people in unscripted dramatic or humorous shows, these shows have gained popularity since 2000 because of there ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Reality shows have been very fruitful for African Americans, who on shows like The Apprentice and American Idol have resulted in “real life” career breaks for reality TV performers like Omarosa and 2006 Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.

The reality genre helped to spawn a new career for former supermodel Tyra Banks, who debut her reality show America’s Next Top Model, in 2003 and her self titled talk show in 2005. Other notable African American entries in reality programming include BET’s highly-rated College Hill that features life on historical black college campuses.

Another popular TV genre experiencing a comeback in the new millennium is ensemble television. This genre was a TV mainstay through the first decades of the medium when shows Bonanza, The Walton and Hill Street Blues ruled the airwaves. As television viewers’ habits shifted in the late 80s and 90s ensemble TV took a backseat to comedies and other formats, before coming back with a vengeance at the beginning of the new millennium with fresh crop of ensemble shows. This group includes several notable shows featuring African American talent and themes like Oz, The Wire and Lincoln Heights, which as of 2007, is the only African American family drama on the air. The multiple Emmy-winning ensemble drama Grey’s Anatomy created and produced by Shondra Rhimes also deserves honorable mention.

THE FUTURE

Television is an evolving medium that will continue to grow and expand. As new technologies emerge and market tastes shift, TV will keep pace and remain at the forefront of new innovations. As for the African American presence in the medium, viewers can expect established names to continue popping up on screen and new players to step in the game who will maintain the powerful and resilient standards set forth by their predecessors.

FILMOGRAPHY OF SELECTED FEATURE FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES

The following filmography includes more than 200 selected feature films and documentaries that are remarkable for their depiction of themes and issues related to the experiences of African Americans throughout history. Ranging from the early silent movie era through major studio releases, documentaries, and made-for-television movies of the 1990s, many of these cinematic works also represent significant milestones for African Americans in the film and television industries.

8 MILE (2002)

The semi-autobiographical film chronicles the early life of blue-eye rapper Eminem.

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN WWII: A LEGACY OF PATRIOTISM AND VALOR (2000)

African American war veterans from all branches of the military describe their personal experiences in World War II. Includes tributes by General Colin Powell and then-President Bill Clinton.

AFRICANS IN AMERICA: AMERICA’S JOURNEY THROUGH SLAVERY (1998)

A four-part television documentary that chronicles the history of racial slavery in the United States from the start of the Atlantic slave trade in the sixteenth century to the end of the American Civil War in 1865. The work examines slavery from philosophical, societal, and economic viewpoints.

AKEELAH AND THE BEE(2006)

Heart warming story about an inner city African American girl’s struggle to win the National Spelling Bee prize.

ALI (2001)

Boxer Muhammad Ali is depicted during a contentious decade (1964–1974), in which he converted to Islam, befriended civil rights icons, refused the draft, was stripped of his World Heavyweight Champion title, married four times, and blurred lines between sport, ethics and society. Smith, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for this role, gives an inspired performance in and out of the ring. Another noteworthy is Jaime Foxx as cornerman “Bundini” Brown.

AMERICA’S DREAM (1995)

Trilogy of short stories covering African American life from 1938 to 1958: “Long Black Song,” based on a short story by Richard Wright; “The Boy Who Painted Christ Black,” based on a story by John Henrik Clarke; and Maya Angelou’s “The Reunion.”

AMISTAD (1997)

Director Steven Spielberg creates an epic that relates the 1839 account of African captives aboard the slaveship Amistad, led by a Mende tribesman named Cinque (Djimon Hounsou), who free themselves and take over the ship in a bloody mutiny. Lengthy legal battles eventually reach the Supreme Court, where the Africans are found to be rightfully freed individuals in the eyes of the law.

ANTWONE FISHER (2002)

Denzel Washington directorial debut tells the story of an abused foster child’s journey into manhood.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN (1974)

The history of African Americans in the South is seen through the eyes of a 110-year-old former slave. From the Civil War through the Civil Rights movement, Miss Pittman (Cicely Tyson) relates every piece of African American history, allowing the viewer to experience the injustices. Received nine Emmy Awards; adapted by Tracy Keenan Wynn from the novel by Ernest J. Gaines.

BABY BOY (2001)

John Singleton returns to the South Central L.A. neighborhood of his breakthrough Boyz N the Hood in this candid look at a culture that fosters and tolerates lack of emotional maturity in young African-American males. Jody (Tyrese Gibson) is a 20-year-old manchild who still lives with his mother, has two children with two different women, no job, and cheats on his current girl, Yvette. Jody’s life changes when his mother’s boyfriend moves in. Melvin (Ving Rhames), an ex-con who’s been down the road Jody is heading, shows no tolerance for his attitude. Jody gets a job, but his idea of earning a living is selling stolen dresses at a beauty parlor. Real trouble starts when Rodney (Snoop Dogg), a street thug and Yvette’s ex, is released from prison and refuses to leave her house. Singleton toys with two endings, but finishes the story with the message that the means to fix the problems he’s described are within reach.

BARBER SHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS (2004)

The sequel to the original 2002 comedy follows deals with the popular barber shop going up against greedy real estate developers.

BEAUTY SHOP (2005)

The day-to-day antics taking place in an inner city beauty shop are vividly portrayed in this spin-off comedy from the successful Barber Shop franchise. Queen Latifah stars.

BELLY (1998)

A pair of vicious black gangsters have spiritual awakenings when they realize that their lives are headed toward a dead end.

BELOVED (1998)

Oprah Winfrey’s pet project (she had owned the film rights for ten years) is a faithful adaptation of Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984)

When a close friend of smooth-talking Detroit cop Axle Foley (Eddie Murphy) is brutally murdered, he traces the murderer to the posh streets of Beverly Hills. There he must stay on his toes to keep one step ahead of the killer and two steps ahead of the law. First of three action-comedies.

BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL-STARS & MOTOR KINGS (1976)

Set in 1939, this film follows the comedic adventures of a lively group of African American baseball players (Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, and Richard Pryor) who have defected from the old Negro National League. The All-Stars travel the country challenging local white teams.

BIRD (1988)

The richly textured biography of jazz saxophone great Charlie Parker (Forest Whitaker), from his rise to stardom to his premature death via extended heroin use. The soundtrack, which features Parker’s own solos remastered from original recordings, earned an Academy Award for best sound. Whitaker earned the Cannes Film Festival Award for best actor, while Clint Eastwood garnered the Golden Globe Award for best director.

BIRTH OF A RACE (1918)

Emmet J. Scott’s film offers a positive depiction of African Americans during the Civil War. Although the film did not meet original expectations, it proved an inspiration to many African Americans.

BLACK GIRL (1972)

Directed by Ossie Davis, this intense drama examines the relationship between an African American woman, who feels that she is a failure, and her children.

BLACK LIKE ME (1964)

Based on John Howard Griffin’s successful book about how Griffin turned his skin black with a drug and traveled the South to experience prejudice firsthand. Features Roscoe Lee Brown.

BLACK RODEO (1972)

Documentary directed by Jeff Kanew provides a glimpse of an all-African American rodeo held at Triborough Stadium in New York in September, 1971.

BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955)

Well-remembered urban drama about an idealistic teacher (Sidney Poitier) in a slum area who fights doggedly to connect with his unruly students. Bill Hailey’s “Rock Around the Clock” over the opening credits was the first use of rock music in a mainstream feature film.

BLACULA (1972)

The African Prince Mamuwalde (William Marshall) stalks the streets of Los Angeles trying to satisfy his insatiable desire for blood. Mildly successful melding of blaxploitation and horror that spawned a sequel Scream, Blacula, Scream.

BLOOD OF JESUS (1941)

A sinful husband accidentally shoots his newly baptized wife, causing an uproar in their rural town. Director Spencer Williams Jr. later starred as Andy on the Amos n’ Andy television series. Due to its rare treatment of African American religion, the film was named to the National Film Registry in 1991.

BLUE COLLAR (1978)

An auto assembly line worker, tired of the poverty of his life, hatches a plan to rob his own union. Starring Richard Pryor and Yaphet Kotto, the film is a study of the working class and the robbing of the human spirit.

BODY AND SOUL (1924)

The first screen appearance of Paul Robeson has him cast in a dual role as a conniving preacher and his good brother. The preacher preys on the heroine, making her life a misery. Objections by censors to the preacher’s character caused him to be redeemed and become worthy of the heroine’s love. Directed by African American film-maker Oscar Micheaux.

BOESMAN & LENA (2000)

This adaptation of the apartheid-era play by Athol Fugard follows the travails of downtrodden couple, Boesman (Danny Glover) and Lena (Angela Bassett). Their shanty town home in Cape Town has been bulldozed by the government so they take to the dusty road with their meager belongings, constantly bickering about their plight. The couple construct a makeshift abode for the night, which attracts the attention of an old man even lower on the economic ladder, whom Lena allows to stay to Boesman’s displeasure.

BOYCOTT (2001)

Superb HBO docudrama recreates the Civil Rights movement’s early days, from Rosa Parks’s (Iris Little-Thomas) refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated Montgomery, Alabama, bus, through the subsequent boycott of the bus system by the city’s black population, to the success of the boycott and the rise to prominence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jeffrey Wright) as the movement’s most eloquent and popular leader. Through the use and mix of many different visual styles, director Clark Johnson uses artful touches to tell the story without overplaying his hand. Wright is fantastic as King, with other outstanding performances turned in by Terrence Dashon Howard as Ralph Abernathy and CCH Pounder as boycott organizer Jo Anne Robinson.

BOYZ N THE HOOD (1991)

John Singleton’s debut as a writer and director is an astonishing picture of young African American men, four high school students with different backgrounds, aims, and abilities trying to survive Los Angeles gangs and bigotry. Excellent acting throughout, with special nods to Laurence Fishburne and Cuba Gooding Jr. Musical score by Stanley Clarke. Singleton was the youngest director ever nominated for an Oscar.

THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET (1984)

A black alien (Joe Morton) escapes from his home planet and winds up in Harlem, where he is pursued by two alien bounty hunters. The humor arises from cultural and racial misunderstandings. Independently-made morality fable by John Sayles.

BROTHER JOHN (1970)

An early look at racial tensions and labor problems. An angel (Sidney Poitier) goes back to his hometown in Alabama to see how things are going. Directed by James Goldstone with musical score by Quincy Jones.

THE BROTHERS (2001)

A chain reaction of male introspection is set off as four successful, young African American men navigate the tricky waters of serious relationships in modern Los Angeles. All the bases are covered: there is the womanizing lawyer, Brian (Bill Bellamy); the one night stand-weary physician, Jackson (Morris Chestnut); the just-engaged Terry (Shemar Moore); and the unhappily married Derrick (D. L. Hughley). Not quite as strong as its female counterpart, the much-praised Waiting to Exhale, but the capable comic actors never veer too far away from the exploration of modern sexual politics.

BROWN SUGAR (2002)

Described as an African-American When Harry Met Sally this film centers on a romance between an A&R exec, Dre (Taye Diggs), at a hip-hop label and a magazine editor, Sidney (Sanaa Lathan), who have known each other since childhood.

BUCK AND THE PREACHER (1972)

A trail guide (Sidney Poitier) and a con man preacher (Harry Belafonte) and wife (Ruby Dee) join forces to help a wagon train of former slaves who are seeking to homestead out West. Poitier’s debut as a director.

BUFFALO SOLDIERS (1997)

Post-Civil War western concerns the all-black cavalry troops created by Congress in 1866 to patrol the American West. A former slave and by-the-book Army man, Sgt. Washington Wyatt (Danny Glover), leads the chase for Apache warrior Victorio (Harrison Lowe) across the New Mexico Territory while trying to deal with the common degradation suffered by his troops at the hands of white officers.

THE BUS (1964)

Documentary covers Martin Luther King Jr.’s epic 1963 March on Washington.

CABIN IN THE SKY (1943)

Based on a Broadway show and featuring an all-African American cast—Ethel Waters, Eddie Anderson, Lena Horne, and Rex Ingram. Lively dance numbers and a musical score with contributions from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

CARMEN JONES (1954)

George Bizet’s tale of femme fatale Carmen with an all-African American cast—Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, and Brock Peters. Dandridge’s Oscar nomination for best actress was the first ever by an African American in a lead role. The film earned the 1955 Golden Globe Award for best film and was named to the National Film Registry in 1992.

CATCH A FIRE (2006)

A real-life story of a South African oil refinery worker who is motivated to commit acts of terrorism against the country’s brutal apartheid government.

CHANGE OF MIND (1969)

Directed by Robert Stevens, the film portrays an African American male (Raymond St. Jacques) who has a white man’s brain transplanted into his head. After the operation, he is accepted by the brain donor’s wife as her husband. Music by Duke Ellington.

CHARLOTTE FORTEN’S MISSION: EXPERIMENT IN FREEDOM (1985)

Fact-based story set during the Civil War. A wealthy, educated African American woman (Melba Moore), determined to prove to President Lincoln that blacks are equal to whites, journeys to a remote island off the coast of Georgia. There she teaches freed slaves to read and write.

CHUCK BERRY: HAIL! HAIL! ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (1987)

Engaging, energetic portrait of one of rock’s founding fathers, via interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and performance clips of Berry at 60 years of age. Songs featured: “Johnny B. Goode,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Maybelline,” and more. Appearances by Etta James, Bo Diddley, and Robert Cray, among others.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: ORDINARY AMERICANS (2000)

Documentary film that juxtaposes contributions of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson with views of rank-and-file protesters. Recommended for Grades 7–12.

CLAUDINE (1974)

Directed by John Berry, the film depicts a single mother (Diahann Carroll) who attempts to maintain her family of six children. James Earl Jones plays a trash collector and her boyfriend.

CLEOPATRA JONES (1973)

Federal government agent (Tamara Dobson) with considerable martial arts prowess takes on loathsome drug lords. Followed by Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold.

CLOCKERS (1995)

Strike (Mekhi Phifer), leader of a group of drug dealers (clockers), engages in a power struggle with his boss (Delroy Lindo), his do-the-right-thing brother Victor (Isaiah Washington), and his own conscience. He is also suspected of murder by relentless narcotics cop Rocco Klein (Harvey Keitel). Poignant and compelling street drama is based on the Richard Price novel. Music by Terence Blanchard.

COACH CARTER (2005)

Samuel L. Jackson stars as controversial coach Ken Carter who becomes the basketball coach for his old high school in a poor area of Richmond, CA.

COLOR ADJUSTMENT (1991)

Narrated by Ruby Dee, the film documents the modern history of race relations in the United States in the arena of television. Traces the progress of African Americans from caricatures to victims to mainstream as portrayed by television.

THE COLOR PURPLE (1985)

Adaptation of Alice Walker’s acclaimed book features strong lead from Whoopi Goldberg (her screen debut which earned the 1986 Golden Globe Award for best actress in a drama) and talk show host Oprah Winfrey (also her film debut), among others. Brilliant musical score by co-producer Quincy Jones compliments this strong film.

THE COOL WORLD (1963)

Tough-talking docudrama, set on the streets of Harlem, focuses on a 15-year-old African American youth whose one ambition in life is to own a gun and lead his gang. Named to the National Film Registry in 1994.

COOLEY HIGH (1975)

African American high school students in Chicago go through the rites of passage in their senior year during the 1960s. Film is funny, smart, and much acclaimed. Great soundtrack featuring Motown hits of the era is a highlight. Sequel to the TV series What’s Happenin’.

CORA UNASHAMED (2000)

In this adaptation of the Langston Hughes short story that finds racism and tragedy in a small Iowa town in the 1930s, Cora Jenkins (Regina Taylor) and her mother (CCH Pounder) are the only blacks in the community. Cora works as a housekeeper for the Studevant family and becomes strongly attached to the family’s daughter, Jessie. This bond is resented by Jessie’s mother, selfish and cold Lizbeth (Cherry Jones), whose exaggerated sense of propriety brings about disaster.

CORNBREAD, EARL AND ME (1975)

Directed by Joe Manduke, a high school basketball star from the ghetto is mistaken for a murderer by cops and is shot, causing a subsequent furor of protest and racial hatred. Music by Donald Byrd.

THE CORNER (2000)

Based on a true story, this miniseries reveals how drugs have infested a Baltimore neighborhood and how the residents are affected. Told semi-narratively by a documentary crew, the story follows the lives of drug addicts and drug dealers. Won several Emmy awards, including Outstanding Miniseries, and Outstanding Directing.

COSMIC SLOP (1994)

Three-part anthology. “Space Traders,” based on a story by Derrick Bell, finds a fleet of aliens offering to solve all of American society’s most pressing social ills if they can have the entire black population in return (for what purpose is never explained). “The First Commandment” features a Catholic priest in a Latino parish who comes up against his parishoners’ beliefs in Santeria. “Tang,” based on a story by Chester Himes, finds a poor, desperately unhappy married couple dreaming about what they’ll do with the rifle mysteriously delivered in a flower carton to their door.

THE COTTON CLUB (1984)

An African American musician playing at The Cotton Club falls in love with gangster Dutch Schultz’s girlfriend. A black tap dancer falls in love with a member of the chorus line who can pass for white. These two love stories are told against a background of mob violence and music during the early jazz era.

COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (1970)

A successful mix of crime and comedy about a suspicious preacher’s back-to-Africa scheme that detectives (Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques) suspect is a swindle. Based on the novel by Chester Himes, the film serves as the directorial debut of Ozzie Davis.

THE COURT MARTIAL OF JACKIE ROBINSON (1990)

True story of a little known chapter in the life of the famous athlete. During his stint in the Army, Robinson (played by Andre Braugher) refused to take a back seat on a bus and subsequently faced the possibility of court martial.

CRISIS AT CENTRAL HIGH (1980)

A dramatic television recreation of the events leading up to the 1957 integration of Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas. Based on teacher Elizabeth Huckaby’s journal.

CROOKLYN (1994)

Director Spike Lee profiles an African American middle-class family growing up in 1970s Brooklyn and focuses on the only girl (Zelda Harris) coming of age. Music by Terence Blanchard.

DADDY DAY CARE (2003)

Eddie Murphy stars as a fired executive who decides to open a day car center for toddlers.

DADDY’S LITTLE GIRLS (2007)

A mechanic (Idris Elba) enlists the help of a successful-but-lonely attorney (Gabrielle Union) while trying to wrest custody of his three daughters from his treacherous ex-wife.

DARKTOWN JUBILEE (1914)

One of the earliest feature films to star an African American, actor-comedian Bert Williams. This film was controversial because it portrayed African Americans in a positive manner.

DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST (1991)

Five women of a Gullah family living on the Sea Islands off the Georgia coast in 1902 contemplate moving to the mainland in this emotional tale of change. Family bonds and memories are celebrated with a quiet narrative and beautiful cinematography in Julie Dash’s feature-film directorial debut. Honored by the Sundance Film Festival for best cinematography.

THE DEFIANT ONES (1958)

Thought-provoking story about racism revolves around two black and white escaped prisoners (Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis) from a chain gang in the rural South. Their societal conditioning to hate each other dissolves as they face constant peril together. Earned several cinematic honors including Academy Awards for best story, screenplay, and best black & white cinematography, as well as the Golden Globe Award for best film—drama.

DELIVER US FROM EVA (2003)

Eva Dandridge (Gabrielle Union) is a very uptight young woman who constantly meddles in the affairs of her sisters, until their husbands set her up with a local playboy (LL Cool J), who falls in love with her.

DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995)

Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington), an unemployed aircraft worker in 1948 Los Angeles, is hired to find mystery woman Daphne (Jennifer Beals) by a shady businessman. Realism and accuracy in period detail enhance a solid performance by Washington. Based upon the Walter Mosley novel.

DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN (2005)

A woman in an abusive relationship learns to stand up on her two feet and move on with her life.

DO THE RIGHT THING (1989)

An uncompromising, brutal comedy written and directed by Spike Lee about the racial tensions surrounding a white-owned pizzeria in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn on the hottest day of the summer, and the violence that eventually erupts.

DOWN IN THE DELTA (1998)

Chicago matriarch Rosa Lynn (Mary Alice) tries to prevent her jobless, single-mom daughter Loretta (Alfre Woodard) from succumbing to destructive forces by sending Loretta and her two grandchildren to her brother’s home (Morgan Freeman) in the Mississippi delta. Poet-novelist Maya Angelou’s first outing as a director skillfully demonstrates the importance of connecting to one’s heritage.

A DREAM FOR CHRISTMAS (1973)

Earl Hamner Jr. (best known for writing The Waltons) wrote this moving made-for-television story of an African American minister whose church in Los Angeles is scheduled to be demolished.

DREAMGIRLS (2006)

Based on the hugely successful Broadway musical about a trio of inner-city girls who hit the big time during the turbulent ’60. Film stars Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover and Jennifer Hudson.

DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)

Tender and sincere portrayal of a 25-year friendship between an aging Jewish woman and the African American chauffeur forced upon her by her son. The film subtly explores the effects of prejudice in the South. Earned numerous Academy and Golden Globe Awards.

DRUMLINE (2002)

A comedy about a talented street drummer from Harlem (Nick Canon) who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band.

THE DUKE IS TOPS (1938)

In singer Lena Horne’s earliest existing film appearance, she attempts to make the “big-time,” while her boyfriend joins a traveling medicine show. The film helped to begin the 1940s swing era.

DUTCHMAN (1967)

Film presentation of Amiri Baraka’s one-act play depicting the claustrophobic reality of the African American male’s situation in the late 1960s. Starring Al Freeman Jr., the film earned best honors at the 1967 Cannes Film Festival.

EIGHT TREY GANGSTER: THE MAKING OF A CRIP (1993)

A provocative documentary that explores the experiences and social environment influencing the life decisions of an African American gang member in Los Angeles.

THE EMPEROR JONES (1933)

Loosely based on Eugene O’Neill’s play, the film portrays the rise and fall of a railroad porter (Paul Robeson) whose exploits take him from a life sentence on a chain gang to emperor of Haiti.

EMPIRE (2002)

As he tries to escape the drug game, big time dealer Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo) is hoodwinked by a Wall Street stockbroker.

EVE’S BAYOU (1997)

Set in 1962 Louisiana and told in flashback, the film presents a mesmerizing and complex story with haunting visuals about the upper middle-class Batiste family. Impressive, multilayered directorial debut from Kasi Lemmons. Music by Terence Blanchard.

EYES ON THE PRIZE (1986)

A comprehensive six-part series on the history of the Civil Rights movement from World War II to the present. Includes Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., and the last great march in Selma, among other moments.

EYES ON THE PRIZE II: AMERICA AT THE RACIAL CROSSROADS (1965–1985) (1987)

The Civil Rights movement, from the mid-1960s to mid-1980s, is traced in this four-volume documentary.

FADE 2 BLACK (2004)

This documentary takes a look at rapper Jay-Z’s successful career.

A FAMILY THING (1996)

Racial issues are addressed in this character-driven story of two brothers in which Southerner Earl Pilcher (Robert Duvall) learns his biological mother was black and that he also has a half brother, Ray (James Earl Jones), who is black and living in Chicago. The two brothers slowly find common ground.

FAT ALBERT (2004)

The cast of this classic carton come to life to help a girl who needs friends.

FEAR OF A BLACK HAT (1994)

A good-natured comedy in which the trio known as NWH (Niggaz With Hats) are touring in support of their album and trying to convince filmmaker Nina Blackburn (Kasi Lemmons) of their street credibility. However, the more the gangsta rappers explain themselves, the less sense they make.

FEAST OF ALL SAINTS (2001)

Based on the historical novel by Anne Rice, this film depicts nineteenth-century New Orleans, and Gens de Couleurs (Free People of Colour). Caught between the opposing worlds of white privilege and black subjugation, the Free People of Colour are descended from black slaves and white oppressors.

FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (2003)

A New York advertising executive (Cuba Gooding Jr.) goes home to collect a big inheritance and in the process discovers his roots.

THE FIVE HEARTBEATS (1991)

Well-told story of five African American singers in the 1960s, their successes and failures as a group and as individuals. Skillfully directed by Robert Townsend who did research by talking to the Dells. Music by Stanley Clarke.

FOR LOVE OF IVY (1968)

Sidney Poitier is a trucking executive who has a gambling operation on the side. Ivy (Abbey Lincoln) is the black maid of a rich white family who is about to leave her job to look for romance. The two are brought together but the road to true love does not run smooth. Based on a story by Poitier; music by Quincy Jones.

FOR US, THE LIVING (1988)

The life and assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers are dramatically presented in this adaptation of the biography written by Evers’s widow. Provides insight into Evers’s character, not just a recording of the events surrounding his life.

48 HRS. (1982)

An experienced San Francisco cop (Nick Nolte) springs a convict (Eddie Murphy) from jail for 48 hours to find a vicious, murdering, escaped con. Film marks Murphy’s screen debut.

FRESH (1994)

Enterprising young man (Sean Nelson) who sells drugs draws life lessons from chess-hustler father (Samuel L. Jackson) and heroin-dealing mentor (Giancarlo Esposito), so he looks for a way out of the dead-end business. First time director Boaz Yakin was awarded the Film-makers Trophy and Special Jury Prize at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.

FUNDI: THE STORY OF ELLA BAKER (1986)

Ella Baker’s nickname “Fundi” comes from the Swahili word for a person who passes skills from one generation to another. This film documents Baker’s work in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and her friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

GET ON THE BUS (1996)

Spike Lee looks at the personal side of the Million Man March through a fictional group of men who board a bus in south central Los Angeles and head for Washington, DC. Practically ignoring the event itself, Lee and writer Reggie Rock Bythewood focus on the men who participated, their reasons, and their interaction with each other.

GET RICH OR DIE TRYING (2005)

This semi-autobiographical tale of rapper 50 cents follows his life as an inner-city drug dealer to the launch of his music career.

GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI (1996)

Director Rob Reiner tells the story of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, murdered in 1963, and the three trials of Byron De la Beckwith (James Woods), who was finally convicted (after two hung juries) in 1994. Whoopie Goldberg plays the role of Evers’s widow, Myrlie; Evers’s sons, Darrell and Van, play themselves; and daughter Reena appears as a juror while her character is played by Yolanda King, the daughter of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

GLORY (1989)

A rich, historical spectacle chronicling the 54th Massachusetts, the first African American volunteer infantry unit in the Civil War. Winner of Academy Awards for best cinematography and best sound, the film offers stunning performances throughout, with exceptional work from Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington who earned both Academy and Golden Globe Awards for best supporting actor.

GLORY ROAD (2006)

The story of the first all-black basketball starting line-up (the legendary 1965-66 Texas Western Miners), fight to make it to the National Championship.

GO, MAN, GO! (1954)

This film depicts the Harlem Globetrotters at a time when few African Americans competed in professional basketball and the traveling team worked to find its place in American sports with its players’ amazing skills and showmanship.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN (1984)

Young African American boy tries to gain the approval of his stern stepfather in this fine adaptation of James Baldwin’s semi-autobiographical novel set in the 1930s.

GONE ARE THE DAYS (1963)

Adaptation of the play Purlie Victorious. An African American preacher (Ossie Davis) stands up to a segregationist plantation owner from whom he obtains money to establish a church.

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

Based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel, this epic Civil War drama traces Scarlett O’Hara’s (Vivien Leigh) survival through the tragic history of the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction Period. Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award for her portrayal of the loyal maid, Mammy. The multiple Academy Award-winning film was named to the American Film Institute Top 100 list in 1998.

THE GOSPEL (2005)

A redemptive tale about a successful R&B singer (Boris Kodjoe), who returns to his gospel roots after his father dies.

GREASED LIGHTNING (1977)

The story of the first African American auto racing champion, Wendell Scott (Richard Pryor), who had to overcome racial prejudice to achieve his success. Co-written by Melvin Van Peebles, the film also starred Pam Grier and Cleavon Little.

THE GREAT WHITE HOPE (1970)

A semi-fictionalized biography of boxer Jack Johnson, played by James Earl Jones, who became the first African American heavyweight world champion in 1910. Jane Alexander makes her film debut as the boxer’s white lover, as both battle the racism of the times.

THE GREATEST (1977)

Autobiography of Cassius Clay, the boxer who would later become the internationally recognized Muhammad Ali. Ali plays himself, and George Benson’s hit “The Greatest Love of All” is introduced.

THE GREEN MILE (1999)

Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is the decent head guard at Louisiana’s Cold Mountain Penitentiary in 1935. He works E block, which is death row (title refers to the color of the floor). Among his prisoners is hulking black man John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), whose intimidating size belies a sweet nature. And something else—it seems Coffey has the power to heal. The characters are more symbols than human beings; but Duncan’s performance earned him acclaim, including Golden Globe and Screen Actor’s Guild nominations for best supporting actor.

GREEN PASTURES (1936)

An adaptation of Marc Connelly’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play that attempts to retell biblical stories in black English vernacular of the 1930s. Southern theater owners boycotted the controversial film which had an all-African American cast.

GUESS WHO (2005)

Bernie Mac stars in this comedic update of the 1960’s classic about interracial love.

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967)

Controversial in its time, a young white woman (Katharine Houghton) brings her black fiancé (Sidney Poitier) home to meet her parents (Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy). The situation truly tests their open-mindedness and understanding. Named to the American Film Institute Top 100 list in 1998.

HALLELUJAH! (1929)

The first all-African American feature film and the first talkie for director King Vidor was given the go-ahead by MGM production chief Irving Thalberg, though he knew the film would be both controversial and get minimal release in the Deep South. Great music included traditional spirituals and songs by Irving Berlin.

HANGIN’ WITH THE HOMEBOYS (1991)

One night in the lives of four young men. Although the Bronx does not offer much for any of them, they have little interest in escaping its confines, and they are more than willing to complain. With characters insightfully written and well-portrayed, the film earned honors for best screenplay at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival.

HANK AARON: CHASING THE DREAM (1995)

Docudrama combines archival footage, interviews, and reenactments to tell the story of the life and career of Henry Aaron, baseball’s all-time home run king. Emphasis

on personal and societal issues, as well as on-the-field accomplishments.

HARLEM NIGHTS (1989)

Two Harlem nightclub owners in the 1930s battle comically against efforts by the mob and crooked cops to take over their territory. High-grossing effort from Eddie Murphy, who directed, wrote, produced, and starred in this film. Music by Herbie Hancock.

HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY SISTERS’ FIRST 100 YEARS (1999)

A made-for-television movie based on the true story of the Delany sisters (played by Ruby Dee and Diahann Carroll), who lived well beyond the age of 100 after having built successful careers at a time when most women, and most African Americans, were being denied opportunities. Produced by Camille O. Cosby.

A HERO AIN’T NOTHIN’ BUT A SANDWICH (1978)

A young urban African American teenager (Larry B. Scott) gets involved in drugs and is eventually saved from ruin. Based on Alice Childress’s novel.

HIGHER LEARNING (1994)

Malik (Omar Epps), Kristen (Kristy Swanson), and Remy (Michael Rapaport) are college freshmen who confront issues of racial prejudice and emerging sexuality. Laurence Fishburne plays an instructor in this John Singleton film.

HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE (1987)

Robert Townsend’s autobiographical comedy about a struggling African American actor in Hollywood trying to find work and getting nothing but stereotypical roles. Written, directed, and financed by Townsend who created this often clever and appealing film on a $100,000 budget.

HOME OF THE BRAVE (1949)

A black soldier is sent on a top secret mission in the South Pacific, but finds that he must battle with his white comrades as he is subjected to subordinate treatment and constant racial slurs. Hollywood’s first outstanding statement against racial prejudice.

HOODLUM (1996)

Highly fictionalized tale of 1930s gangster “Bumpy” Johnson (Laurence Fishburne, reprising his role from The Cotton Club), who refuses to allow Dutch Schultz (Tim Roth) and Lucky Luciano (Andy Garcia) to muscle into the Harlem numbers rackets.

HOOP DREAMS (1994)

Exceptional documentary follows two inner-city basketball phenoms’ lives through high school as they chase their dreams of playing in the NBA. Offers plenty of game footage, but the more telling and fascinating parts of the film deal with the kids’ families and home life. Both players encounter dramatic reversals of fortune on and off the court, demonstrating the incredibly long odds they face. Earned numerous honors including the Audience Award at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.

HOTEL RWANDA (2004)

Don Cheadle stars in the true-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsis refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda.

HOUSE PARTY (1990)

Light-hearted, African American hip hop version of a 1950s teen comedy with rap duo Kid ‘n’ Play. Features real-life music rappers and some dynamite dance numbers. Earned best cinematography honors at the 1990 Sundance Film Festival.

HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK (1998)

A flipside to the May-December romance that is based on the novel by Terry McMillan. Stars Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg, among others.

HOW U LIKE ME NOW? (1992)

Daryll Robert’s second directorial effort offers a fresh look at African Americans on film with plenty of lively supporting characters and witty dialogue. Music by Chuck Webb.

THE HURRICANE (1999)

A moving but truncated true story of middleweight boxing champ Rubin “Hurricane” Carter (Denzel Washington). He spent 20 years in prison after being falsely accused and convicted of murder. Anchored by an Oscar-winning performance by Washington, the film came under fire for its rearrangement of the facts behind the case.

HUSTLE & FLOW (2005)

John Singleton produced this drama about a Memphis pimp (Terrence Howard) in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful rapper.

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS (1979)

An African American writer’s memories of growing up in the rural South during the 1930s. Strong performances from Esther Rolle and Constance Good. Based on the book by Maya Angelou.

I’LL MAKE ME A WORLD: A CENTURY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTS (1999)

PBS documentary produced by famed documentarian Henry Hampton that honors the achievements of twentieth-century African American writers, dancers, painters, actors, filmmakers, musicians, and other artists who changed forever who Americans are as a nation and culture.

I’M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA (1988)

Parody of “blaxploitation” films popular during the 1960s and 1970s. A number of stars who made “blaxploitation” films, including Jim Brown, take part in the gags.

IMITATION OF LIFE (1934)

Fannie Hurst novel tells the story of widowed Beatrice Pullman (Claudette Colbert) who uses maid Delilah’s (Louise Beaver) recipe for pancakes in order to have the women open a restaurant, which becomes a success. Both mothers suffer at the hands of their willful teenaged daughters.

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)

An African American homicide expert (Sidney Poitier) is asked to help solve the murder of a wealthy industrialist in a small Mississippi town, despite resentment on the part of the town’s chief of police (Rod Steiger). Powerful script with underlying theme of racial prejudice is served well by taut direction and powerhouse performances. Won several Academy and Golden Globe Awards.

INSIDE MAN (2006)

Spike Lee directs this bank heist film about a tough cop (Denzel Washington) who matches wits with a clever bank robber (Clive Owen).

INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE (1999)

Beautiful, sexy singer/actress Dorothy Dandridge (Halle Berry) was the first African American woman to be nominated for a best actress Oscar for her title role in 1955’s Carmen Jones. Ten years later, at the age of 42, she was dead from an overdose of antidepressants after suffering a lifetime of tragedies—an abusive childhood, two failed marriages, a brain-damaged child, tumultuous affairs, limited career choices, and bad financial decisions. Berry won a Golden Globe Award for her lead role.

INTRUDER IN THE DUST (1949)

A small Southern community develops a lynch mob mentality when a black man is accused of killing a white man. Powerful, but largely ignored portrait of race relations in the South. Adapted from a novel by William Faulkner.

JACK JOHNSON (1971)

Documentary discusses the life of the first African American heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Johnson. Brock Peters provides the voice of Johnson and Miles Davis the musical score.

JACKIE BROWN (1997)

Quentin Tarantino finally climbs back into the director’s chair with his leisurely but satisfying adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch. No, it’s not Pulp Fiction, but it could do for Pam Grier what Pulp did for John Travolta. Grier stars as out-of-luck-and-options stewardess Jackie Brown, who runs money to Mexico for ruthless arms dealer Ordell (Samuel L. Jackson). Busted on one of her errands, she comes up with an intricate plan to get out from under, hopefully with the money and without getting caught or killed. Slower and less bloody than Quentin fans are used to, but as usual he gets killer performances from everybody. Cool dialogue and chronological shifts are again key ingredients, along with a heightened sense of character development. Bridget Fonda and Robert De Niro make the most of small (but crucial) roles, but it’s Robert Forster (another 70s whatever-happened-to refugee) who provides the standout performance. The look and feel of the movie reflects the dingy world it inhabits, as well as Tarantino’s love of 70s blaxploitation flicks.

THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY (1950)

Chronicles Robinson’s rise from UCLA to his breakthrough as the first African American man to play baseball in the major league. Robinson plays himself; the film deals honestly with the racial issues of the time.

JASON’S LYRIC (1994)

Director Doug McHenry’s intense drama focuses on the stormy relationship between two brothers (Allen Payne and Bokeem Woodbine) whose lives in an impoverished Houston neighborhood lead them along different paths.

JEFFERSON IN PARIS (1994)

Thomas Jefferson (Nick Nolte) confronts the personal and political issues of slavery in America, as well as his feelings for Sally Hemings (Thandie Newton), a Monticello slave brought to Paris by Jefferson’s daughter.

JO JO DANCER, YOUR LIFE IS CALLING (1986)

Richard Pryor directed and starred in this semi-autobiographical price-of-fame story of a comic, hospitalized for a drug-related accident, who must reevaluate his life. A serious departure from Pryor’s slapstick comedies. Music by Herbie Hancock.

JOEY BREAKER (1993)

Small picture works large message with sense of humor and sincere performances. Dedicated to Fred Fondren who died of AIDS in 1992. Filmed in New York City and St. Lucia.

JOHN Q (2002)

Denzel Washington is the title’s everyman hero who’s desperate and gutsy enough to bypass medical bureaucracy altogether to get his 10-year-old son Mike (Daniel E. Smith) the heart transplant he desperately needs to live. John Quincy Archibald’s plant has just cut his hours, and when his HMO gives him the run-around, he is forced to come up with the $75,000 for his son’s operation. Unable to come up with it, John Q. takes over the emergency room and demands his son be placed at the top of the transplant list.

JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION (2004)

A litany of disasters awaits the Johnson Family (Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa L. Williams, Solange Knowles and rapper Bow Wow) while on a road to from California to a family reunion down South.

THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY (1990)

Made-for-television biography of exotic entertainer/activist Josephine Baker (played by Lynn Whitfield), an African American woman from St. Louis who found superstardom in pre-WWII Europe, but repeated racism and rejection in the United States.

JUICE (1992)

Day-to-day street life of four Harlem youths as they try to earn respect (juice) in their neighborhood. The gritty look and feel of the drama comes naturally to Ernest R. Dickerson in his directorial debut.

JUNGLE FEVER (1991)

Married black architect’s affair (played by Wesley Snipes) with his white secretary (Annabella Sciorra) provides the backdrop for a cold look at interracial love. Written, produced, and directed by Spike Lee, the film focuses more on the discomfort of friends and families than with the intense world created by the lovers for themselves. Samuel L. Jackson plays a drug-addicted brother.

KANSAS CITY (1995)

Robert Altman mixes music, politics, crime and the movies in this bittersweet homage to his hometown, set in the jazz-driven 1930s. Styled to imitate the brilliant jazz scores played by the likes of Joshua Redman and James Carter.

KING (1978)

Docudrama with terrific cast follows the life and career of one of the greatest non-violent civil rights leaders of all time, Martin Luther King Jr.

LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972)

Jazz artist Billie Holiday’s life (depicted by singer Diana Ross) becomes a musical drama depicting her struggle against racism and drug addiction in her pursuit of fame and romance. Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, and Scatman Crothers head the supporting cast.

LAST HOLIDAY (2006)

Queen Latifah stars as a shy woman who decides to take a European vacation after being diagnosed after being given only 3 weeks to live. LL Cool J co-stars.

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006)

Forrest Whitaker stars delivers a stunning portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

LAUREL AVENUE (1993)

Looks at the life of an extended working-class African American family in St. Paul, Minnesota, over a busy weekend.

LEAN ON ME (1989)

Depicts the career of Joe Clark, a tough New Jersey teacher who became the principal of the state’s toughest, crime-plagued school and, through controversial hardline tactics, turned it around.

THE LEARNING TREE (1969)

A beautifully photographed adaptation of Gordon Park Sr.’s biographical novel about a 14-year-old African American boy in 1920s Kansas. The first feature film financed by a major Hollywood studio to be directed by an African American.

LETHAL WEAPON (1989)

Danny Glover and Mel Gibson work well together as a pair of cops who uncover a heroin smuggling ring. Packed with plenty of action, violence, and humorous undertones.

THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES (1970)

In this dramatic study of Southern race relations, a wealthy black undertaker (Roscoe Lee Brown) wants a divorce from his wife (Lola Falana) who is having an affair with a white policeman.

LILIES OF THE FIELD (1963)

Five East German nuns enlist the aid of a free-spirited U.S. Army veteran (Sidney Poitier). They persuade him to build their chapel and teach them English. Poitier is excellent as the itinerant laborer and became the first African American man to win an Academy Award for best actor.

LISTEN UP! THE LIVES OF QUINCY JONES (1991)

A biography of the music legend responsible for various movie scores, record productions, and arrangements for the industry’s top stars.

THE LONG WALK HOME (1989)

Whoopi Goldberg stars in this dramatic story about the relationship between a rich white housewife (Sissy Spacek) and her black maid whom she drives to work during the 1956 Montgomery bus boycott.

LOOK OUT SISTER (1948)

Louis Jordan and an all-African American cast star in this musical satire of westerns. Lots of African American culture, slang, and music from 1940s.

LOSING ISAIAH (1994)

A controversial and emotionally-moving story of a social worker (Jessica Lange) who adopts the title character, an African American baby abandoned by his drug-addicted mother (Halle Berry). Four years later, now clean and sober, the natural mother enlists the aid of a lawyer (Samuel L. Jackson) to regain custody of her child.

LOST BOUNDARIES (1949)

Respected physician Scott Carter (debut role for Mel Ferrer) and his family live and work in a small New Hampshire town, hiding the fact that they are black, passing for white, in their segregated society. But then the truth becomes known. Canada Lee also stars in this film based on a true story.

LOVE JONES (1996)

A contemporary Chicago nightclub, the Sanctuary, is the gathering spot for middle-class African American urban-ites looking for romance. Earned the Audience Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

THE MACK (1973)

The Mack is a pimp who comes out of retirement to reclaim a piece of the action in Oakland, California. Violent blaxploitation film was box-office dynamite at the time of its release.

MADEA’S FAMILY REUNION (2006)

While planning her family reunion, a pistol-packing grandma (Tyler Perry) must contend with the other dramas including the runaway who has been placed under her care, and her love-troubled nieces.

MALCOLM X (1992)

Marked by strong direction from Spike Lee and good performances (notably Al Freeman Jr. as Elijah Muhammad), it is Denzel Washington’s convincing performance in the title role that truly brings this stirring tribute to the controversial African American activist alive. Based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley.

THE MAN (1972)

James Earl Jones plays the president pro tem of the U.S. Senate who becomes the first African American president when all the office holders above him in the presidential succession become victims of accidents and illnesses.

MAN ON FIRE (2004)

Set in Mexico City, Denzel Washington stars as a former assassin swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.

MENACE II SOCIETY (1993)

Critically acclaimed portrayal of African American teens living in Watts during the 1990s is realistically captured by 21-year-old twin directors, Allen and Albert Hughes, in their big-screen debut.

MISS EVERS’ BOYS (1997)

Wrenching docudrama covers a 40-year U.S. Public Health Service study in which African American men suffering from syphilis were monitored but not treated for the disease. Alfre Woodward earned the Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or special for her role as nurse Eunice Evers.

MISSISSIPPI MASALA (1992)

This film portrays an interracial romance that sets off a cultural collision and escalates racial tensions in a small Southern town when Mina (Sarita Choudhury), a sheltered young Indian woman, falls in love with Demetrius

(Denzel Washington), an ambitious African American man with his own carpet-cleaning business.

MO’ BETTER BLUES (1990)

Bleek Gilliam (Denzel Washington) is a handsome, accomplished self-interested jazz trumpeter who divides his limited time between two female lovers (Cynda Williams and Joie Lee). What is interesting is subtle racial issues his life draws into focus. The Branford Marsalis Quartet provides the music for Bleek’s group, scored by Lee’s dad, Bill (on whose life the script is loosely based).

MONSTER’S BALL (2001)

Georgia death-row prison guard Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) is following in his father Buck’s footsteps as a guard, and as a bigot. His son also has joined the family business, but doesn’t seem to have the heart or stomach for it. When his son throws up during the execution of Lawrence Musgrove (Sean “P. Diddy” Combs), Hank flies into a rage that makes him reexamine his life. Soon after, he helps the waitress, Leticia (Halle Berry) from the diner he frequents after an auto accident. Leticia is Musgrove’s widow, unbeknownst to Hank, who begins a relationship with her that changes both of them. A well-done, raw, and unflinching story that the excellent cast inhabit perfectly, especially Berry who won the Best Actress Oscar.

MR. & MRS. LOVING (1996)

Fact-based movie, set in the 1960s, follows the interracial romance, marriage, and struggle of Richard Loving (Timothy Hutton) and Mildred “Bean” Jeter (Lela Rochon) and their landmark Supreme Court decision concerning miscegenation laws.

NATIVE SON (1986)

This second film adaptation of the classic Richard Wright novel tells the story of a poor African American man who accidentally kills a white woman and then hides the body.

NEW JACK CITY (1991)

Director Mario Van Peebles stars in his own film as a police detective who assigns two undercover officers (Ice-T and Judd Nelson) to capture a wealthy Harlem drug lord (Wesley Snipes). Music by Johnny Gill, 2 Live Crew, Ice-T, and others.

NO MAPS ON MY TAPS (1979)

A unique African American art form—jazz tap dancing—is shown in rare photos and Hollywood film clips from the 1930s, and in intimate portraits of three surviving dancers: Sandman Sims, Chuck Green, and Bunny Briggs.

NO WAY OUT (1950)

Sidney Poitier plays an outstanding young actor who treats two white criminals who are wounded in an attempted robbery. After one of the men dies, the other accuses the doctor of murder.

NORMAN, IS THAT YOU? (1976)

Film adaptation based on the Broadway play about the confused black parents of a homosexual son and his white lover.

NOTHING BUT A MAN (1964)

Duff Anderson (Ivan Dixon) portrays an African American laborer trying to make a life in a small Alabama town. Abbey Lincoln, Yaphet Kotto, and Gloria Foster also star in this unsentimental depiction of the times. Named to the National Film Registry in 1993.

ONCE UPON A TIME . . . WHEN WE WERE COLORED (1995)

Actor Tim Reid makes a fine directorial debut with the story of an African American youngster growing up parentless in 1950s Mississippi. Nostalgic, sensitive, and heartwarming adaptation of Clifton Taulbert’s autobiographical book.

ONE FALSE MOVE (1991)

Not a typical crime thriller, first-time feature director Carl Franklin is more interested in a psychological character study of racism and small-town mores. Earned the 1993 Independent Spirit Award for best director.

ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO (1964)

The story of an interracial marriage between white laborer Julie Cullen (Barbara Barrie) and Frank Richards (Bernie Hamilton), an African American man that she meets at the plant where she works.

PANTHER (1995)

A highly controversial, fictionalized account of the Black Panther movement in the late 1960s. Directed by Melvin Van Peebles. Music by Stanley Clarke.

PARIS IS BURNING (1991)

Jennie Livingston’s documentary portrayal of New York City’s transvestite balls between 1985 and 1989. This is a compelling look at a subculture of primarily African American and Hispanic men and the one place they can truly be themselves. Winner of the 1991 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize.

PASTIME (1991)

A bittersweet baseball elegy set in the minor leagues in 1957. A boyish 41-year-old pitcher cannot face hi