African American History Month
Video and Media Resources
Did you know that the first open-heart surgery was performed by a black doctor, Daniel Hale Williams? Not many people did in 1968, the year this eye-opening film, narrated by Bill Cosby, was first released. This minute and a half clip definitely gives pause for thought.
"The UC Berkeley Social Activism Sound Recording Project is a partnership between the UC Berkeley Library, the Pacifica Foundation, and other private and institutional sources. The intent of the project is to gather, catalog, and make accessible primary source media resources related to social activism and activist movements in California in the 1960's and 1970's."
August 28, 1963...The full version of Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech.
This documentary short follows a 90 year old great-great grandmother on her trek to vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 Pennsylvania Primary. Having voted all her life, this is the first time she's had the opportunity to vote for a Black man for the office of President of the United States.
Rose Ruffin, age 93, talks a little about her father and mother. She discusses living on a farm, garden, and how she use to fish with a net with her father. This oral history is part of an ongoing research dealing with the Brick Mill Cemetery preservation project. Brick Mill is the largest all African American community cemetery in Onslow County, North Carolina.
Part two of the oral history interview with Rose Ruffin, age 93.
The WGBH Media Archives and Preservation Center has preserved and described 523 tapes from The Ten O'Clock News, WGBH's in-depth nightly news program. Dating from 1974 to 1991, this collection focuses on news stories relating to Boston's African American community.
"In 1965, Robert Penn Warren wrote a book, now out of print, entitled Who Speaks for the Negro? To research this publication, he traveled the country and spoke with a variety of people who were involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He spoke with nationally-known figures as well as people working in the trenches of the Movement. The volume contains many of the transcripts from these conversations. The Who Speaks for the Negro? Archive contains digitized versions of the original reel-to-reel recordings, as well as copies of the correspondence, transcripts, and other printed materials related to his research for the provocatively-titled book."
DVDs on African American History/Issues
A list of DVD resources located at the library.
DVD1164Unnatural causes [videorecording] : is inequality making us sick? Dual-language edition
1 videodisc (236 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 fold-out guide.
A seven-part documentary series arguing that "health and longevity are correlated with socioeconomic status; people of color face an additional health burden, and our health and well-being are tied to policies that promote economic and social justice. Each of the half-hour program segments, set in different racial/ethnic communities, provides a deeper exploration of the ways in which social conditions affect population health and how some communities are extending their lives be improving them.
DVD1066
From prison to home [videorecording]
1 videodisc (71 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Focuses on the African American Program for parolees. Ex-convicts face formidable odds, and for African-Americans, conditions are usually even more difficult. This documentary traces the experiences of four black ex-inmates over the course of a year, focusing on their challenges with employment, housing, addiction and reconnecting with family, as well as their participation in the nontraditional African American Program. The parole officers who work with these men are also interviewed.
DVD1062
Tulia, Texas [videorecording]
1 videodisc (54 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
In 1999 undercover narcotics agent Thomas Coleman executed one of the biggest drug stings in Texas history. Coleman and his drug task force arrested 46 Tulia residents - of which 39 were African American - on charges of suspected drug dealing to Coleman. Eight were prosecuted, found guilty and sentenced to unusually stiff jail terms of 20 to 99 years. The rest, fearing similar punishment and poorly represented by ill-prepared court appointed attorneys, agreed to plea bargains. However, a determined group of townspeople, Jeff Blackburn - a defense attorney, and attorneys from the NAACP and the ACLU turned things around and brought some justice to those convicted and others. TULIA, TEXAS is the story of a small town's search for justice and the price Americans pay for the nation's war on drugs.
DVD1029
The great debaters [videorecording] 2-disc collector's ed.
2 videodiscs (124 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 "The Great Debaters" booklet.
Melvin B. Tolson is a professor at Wiley College in Texas. Wiley is a small African-American college. In 1935, Tolson inspired students to form the school's first debate team. Tolson turns a group of underdog students into a historically elite debate team which goes on to challenge Harvard in the national championship. Inspired by a true story.
DVD922
Everyday use [videorecording]
1 videodisc (26 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
A poignant film adaptation of Alice Walker's widely studied short story. A wayward daughter returns to her rural Georgia roots but is unable to sustain a connection with her sharecropper family because she has the notion that her roots are strictly African.
DVD567
Eyes on the prize [videorecording] : America's civil rights movement Full screen version.
7 videodiscs (120 min. each) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.
Vols. 1-3 tell the story of America's civil rights years from 1954 to 1965; vols. 4-7 examine the new America from 1966 to 1985, from community power to the human alienation of urban poverty.
DVD745
School daze [videorecording] Special ed.
1 videodisc (121 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 compact disc (44 min.)
A music-filled, offbeat contemporary comedy that takes an unforgettable look at black college life. Includes soundtrack audio cd.
DVD730
New world order. Voices of civil rights [videorecording]
1 videodisc (45 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 CD-ROM (interactive lesson plan)
The Civil Rights Movement challenged racial inequality and pushed the United States to stand up to its creed. This moving documentary gathers the personal narratives of the everyday people who lived through this transformative era, from bus boycotts in Birmingham to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Originally aired on the television program "Save Our History.”
DVD437
Unforgivable blackness [videorecording] : the rise and fall of Jack Johnson Widescreen version.
2 videodiscs (220 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in.
The in-depth and intimate story of one of the most important African Americans to live in the first half of the 20th century. Tells the story of Jack Johnson, who was the first African American boxer to win the most coveted title in all of sports - Heavyweight Campion of the World. Includes his struggles in and out of the ring and his desire to live his life as a free man.
DVD1107
August Wilson [videorecording]
1 videodisc (52 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson returns home to the Hill District of Pittsburgh in 1990 to review his life and career. Archival footage and interviews with Wilson, former New York Times theater critic Frank Rich, Rob Penny, fellow writers, and others provide insights into the African American experience, from the Great Black Migration to more recent times. Scenes from his plays "Jitney," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," "Fences," "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," and "Two Trains Running" reveal the impact of the oral tradition and the blues on Wilson's poetic prose.
DVD441
The Tuskegee airmen [videorecording]
1 videodisc ( 60 min.) : sd., col. (with b&w sequences) ; 4 3/4 in.
The story of an experiment -- "to see if Blacks had the intellectual and physical ability to fly an aircraft in combat." These pilots, trained in the "deep South," became the Tuskegee Airmen, flying combat aircraft during World War II for their country. They had to battle on 2 fronts: the Axis powers in Europe and North Africa, and the racism at home.
DVD198
I am woman [videorecording]
2 videodiscs (58 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
In disc 1, Voices of power, African-American women have captured the moral imagination of mainstream America through their essays, novels, poetry, and other artistic endeavors, breaching the static lines of race, gender, and class. How have their relections so clearly articulated the hopes and philosophies of so many? In this program, writers Alice Walker and Bell Hooks and Ohio State University faculty Dr. Martha Wharton and Dr. Valerie Lee examine the emergence of African-American women as popular and powerful voices of social conscience. In disc 2, Is feminism dead?, shows that years after the women's movement opened doors for women, a new generation seems to be questioning the meaning and value of the battles that were fought. Has feminism gone out of style? Leading experts appraise the women's movement as it currently exists and discuss its relevance in today's cultural climate.
DVD178
Toni Morrison uncensored [videorecording]
1 videodisc (30 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Morrison candidly answers questions regarding how she became a writer, the pain of empathizing with her characters, the sensual nature of her novels, and how it felt to win the Nobel Prize.
DVD389
Standing on my sisters' shoulders [videorecording]
1 videodisc (61 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.
This documentary tells the story of the three Mississippi women in 1965, who walked into the US House of Representatives in Washington D.C.to seek their civil rights. These living legends give their firsthand testimony and capture a piece of history that is often overlooked in history books. Their achievements go beyond the cotton fields of Mississippi or even the coasts of America.
DVD95
Bamboozled [videorecording] Special ed., widescreen.
1 videodisc (136 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
In a searing parody of American television, it takes a humorous look at how race, ratings and the pursuit of power lead to a network executive's stunning rise and tragic downfall.
DVD405
A Huey P. Newton story [videorecording]
1 videodisc (90 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Smith's solo performance is filmed before a live audience and supplemented with archival footage.
DVD996
Miss Evers' boys [videorecording]
1 videodisc (118 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
In 1932, Nurse Eunice Evers is invited to work with doctors on the "Tuskegee Experiment" to study the effects of syphilis. She is faced with a terrible dilemma when she learns the patients are denied treatment that could cure them.
DVD438
The Tuskegee airmen [videorecording]
1 videodisc (106 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
It is 1943 and the Germans are winning the Second World War as the U.S. suffers huge losses on the ground and in the air. Four newly recruited pilots are united by a desire to serve their country, at a time when black flyers are not welcomed in the Air Force. Now, through the brutal demands of their training, to the perils of flying over nations at war, the men they call "The Tuskegee Airmen" must undertake the riskiest mission of their lives--to prove to America that courage knows no color. Their success could earn them respect, save lives and help win a terrible war. Their failure could destroy more hopes and dreams than their own.
DVD602
Black Indians [videorecording] : an American story
1 videodisc (60 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.
Narrated by James Earl Jones and with music by The Neville Brothers this video explores the issue of racial identity among Native and African Americans. This in-depth documentary examines the coalescence of these two groups in American history.
DVD677
A soldier's story [videorecording] Widescreen and full screen versions.
1 videodisc (101 min.) : sd., col., double sided ; 4 3/4 min.
A black army attorney is sent to Fort Neal, Louisiana, near the end of World War II to investigate the murder of Sgt. Waters, a black man who despised his own roots.
DVD1063
Tony Brown's journal [videorecording] : the ebonics controversy
1 videodisc (30 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
This program defines ebonics, distinguishes between languages and dialects, and features interviews with linguists. It examines the Oakland School Board's initial decision to incorporate ebonics into its curriculum.
DVD853
Scottsboro [videorecording] : an American tragedy Full screen version.
1 videodisc (ca. 90 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in.
In March 1931, two white women stepped from a boxcar in Paint Rock, Alabama to make a shocking accusation: they had been raped by nine black teenagers on the train. So began one of the most significant legal fights of the twentieth century. The trials of the nine young men would draw North and South into their sharpest conflict since the Civil War, yield two momentous Supreme Court decisions and give birth to the civil rights movement.
DVD671
To kill a mockingbird [videorecording] Special ed., widescreen version.
2 videodiscs (130 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Gregory Peck plays a southern lawyer who defends a black man accused of rape in this film version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The way in which it captures a time, a place, and above all, a mood, makes this film a masterpiece.
DVD378
Malcolm X [videorecording] Widescreen version.
2 videodiscs (294 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.
Screen version of the life of Malcolm X, who through his religious conversion to Islam, found the strength to rise up from a criminal past to become an influential civil rights leader.