Jane Sloan Media Librarian jsloan@rci.rutgers.edu June 2005

Research Resources: Subject Research Guides: Media Collections:
African American History

This guide is a browsing aid to selected titles in the video/DVD collections at Rutgers Libraries. The most up-to-date, accurate, and complete information regarding the libraries' holdings is available only through IRIS, our online catalog.

10,000 black men named George

A dramatization of the true story of the formation of the first black-controlled union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Asa Philip Randolph, a black journalist establishes a voice for the forgotten workers of the Pullman Rail Company, where all black porters were simply named "George", after George Pullman, the first person to employ emancipated slaves.

1 videodisc (95 min.) 2003

DANA 58

4 little girls

The Birmingham Campaign was launched in 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists were soon jailed...but it was the participation of the children that advanced the momentum of the Birmingham movement. They marched alongside the adults and were taken to jail with them as well. The 16th St. Baptist Church was close to the downtown area, it was an ideal location to hold rallies and meetings. On Sunday morning, Sept. 15, 1963, dynamite planted by the Ku Klux Klan, exploded in the building...under the fallen debris the bodies of [four] girls were found--Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley died because of the color of their skin.

1 videocassette (102 min.) : 1998

DANA 1566

4 little girls

When a bomb tears through the basement of a black Baptist church on a peaceful fall morning, it takes the lives of four young girls; Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Addie Mae Collins. This racially motivated crime, taking place at a time when the civil rights movement is burning with a new flame, could have doused that flame forever. Instead it fuels a nation's outrage and brings Birmingham, Alabama to the forefront of America's concern.

1 videodisc (102 min.) 2000

MEDIA 10-384

The African American cinema I, Oscar Micheaux's Within our gates (1919)

The earliest surviving feature directed by an African-American, Within our gates tells the story of a young African-American woman who seeks a Northern white patron for a Southern school for Black children. The scenes of lynching and attempted white-on-Black rape may be a response to D.W. Griffith's The birth of a nation.

1 videocassette (79 min.) : 1993

MEDIA 2-2805

The African American cinema. II, The scar of shame (1923) and Sissle and Blake (1926)

Sissle and Blake is a short filmed in Lee De Forest's New York studio with his sound-on-film process in 1923, four years before Hollywood began to experiment with sound. Pianist Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle perform their jazz composition "Affectionate Dan" and a jazzed-up spiritual. Scar of shame: In no film was the racial theme more apparent than in this story about an ill-matched marriage between a black concert painist and a poor, lower class black woman. Secretly ashamed of her, the young man keeps his wife hidden from his socially-prominent middle-class mother.

1 videocassette (80 min.) : 1993

MEDIA 2-2809

African-American cultures in the U.S.A

The follow-up to Part one discusses African history and religion, images of the African American in the media, academic performance and stereotypes perpetuated in schools.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1993

DANA 225

African American life

The journey from Africa to slavery -- Resisting slavery -- Segregation -- The Civil Rights Movement -- Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- African Americans todayLearn about America's history through the use of graphics and animations, live-action portrayals of historic figures and stories told from a child's point of view.

1 videocassette (25 min.) : 1996

DANA 1811

African Americans

Celebrates the heritage of African Americans showing the unique traditions they brought with them and who they are today. Discusses the history of their emigration and who the important African American leaders are in North America today.

1 videocassette (30 min.) : 1993

DANA 1815

African-Americans in WWII

Documentary combining interviews and news and movie footage. Tells not only the story of the Tuskegee Airmen but also an overview of how the unit came into existence. "Jubilee : strictly G.I." is footage taped during the broadcast of a radio show that was shipped overseas to the Armed Forces Radio Network.

1 videocassette (46 min.) 1995

DANA 3034

The African burial ground an American discovery

Pt. 1. The search -- pt. 2. A history -- pt. 3. Politics and the people -- pt. 4. An open windowExplores the history and archeological excavation of a burial ground for African slaves discovered in lower Manhattan Island, New York, during construction of Federal office building in the summer of 1991. Relates also the effect of the discovery on understanding the role of Afro-Americans in colonial American life.

1 videocassette (118 min.) : 1994

MEDIA 2-5751

The African burial ground an American discovery

Pt. 1. The search -- pt. 2. A history -- pt. 3. Politics and the people -- pt. 4. An open windowExplores the history and archeological excavation of a burial ground for African slaves discovered in lower Manhattan Island, New York, during construction of Federal office building in the summer of 1991. Relates also the effect of the discovery on understanding the role of Afro-Americans in colonial American life.

1 videocassette (118 min.) : 1994

DANA 643

African contributions to U.S. history

In this video discover the far-reaching influence of Africans throughout U.S. history.

1 videocassette (21 min.) : 1998

DANA 1810

Against the odds the artists of the Harlem Renaissance

Documents the story of a group of black visual artists working during the 1920s and 1930s, who for the most part were unable to show their work in mainstream museums and galleries. Highlights the influential role the Harmon Foundation played in the development of African American art in the United States.

1 videocassette (57 min) : 1994

MEDIA 2-4002

Against the odds the artists of the Harlem Renaissance

Documents the story of a group of black visual artists working during the 1920s and 1930s, who for the most part were unable to show their work in mainstream museums and galleries. Highlights the influential role the Harmon Foundation played in the development of African American art in the United States.

1 videocassette (57 min) : 1994

MEDIA 2-2568

Ain't gonna shuffle no more, 1964-1972

This video illustrates the pervasiveness of the black consciousness movement throughout the country in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. Describes the student movement at Howard University for black studies and explores the "coming of age" of black politicians and political activists through a description of the National Black Political Convention at Gary, Indiana.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1989

MEDIA 2-4158

America's black warriors two wars to win

The video features numerous African-American WWII veterans, who speak with brutal honesty about the prejudice they encountered and the battles they fought.

1 videocassette (ca. 50 min.) : 1998

DANA 1812

An angry man? the trial of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin

This program examines the murder case in the context of who Al-Amin was and who he has been since changing his name and beliefs while in prison. In the 1960s, H. Rap Brown was a vocal civil rights activist who scared white America with a fiery rhetoric of violence. Now Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the former Black Panther since converted to Islam, is back in the spotlight, accused of killing a deputy sheriff in Atlanta. This program examines the murder case in the context of who Al-Amin was and who he has been since changing his name and beliefs while in prison.

1 videocassette (23 min.) : 2002

DANA 1879

Baseball Bottom of the fifth

"Babe Ruth's fading career gives way to the rising stars of Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, and Bob Feller. The inning culminates with one of the greatest showdowns in baseball history when Satchel Paige, arguably the best pitcher ever, pitches to Josh Gibson, "the black Babe Ruth," in the Negro League World Series."--Container.

1 videocassette (ca. 45 min.) : 1994

MEDIA 2-4116

Baseball Bottom of the second inning

"Abandoned by the federal government, segregated from the rest of society, black Americans begin to establish colleges, start newspapers and speak of forming a league of black baseball teams."--Container.

1 videocassette (54 min.) : 1994

MEDIA 2-4110

Beloved

"On a difficult journey to find freedom, Sethe is constantly confronted by the secrets that have haunted her for years. Then, an old friend from out of her past unexpectedly reenters her life. With his help, Sethe may finally be able to rediscover who she is and regain her lost sense of hope"--Container.

1 videocassette (ca. 172 min.) : 1998

MEDIA 2-5710

The Bicycle Corps America's Black army on wheels

In 1897, the 25th Infantry extablished a Bicycle Corps to test the Army's theory that bicycles could replace the horse as a means of troop transport.

1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.) 2004

DANA 3029

Black American conservatism an exploration of ideas

Using archival photos, rare footage, and historical narratives, Clarence Page reviews the history of Black American conservatism and explains the enterprising concepts of black entrepreneurs and industrialists from the late 1800s to the present.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1992

DANA 722

Black history lost, stolen, or strayed

Demonstrates ways in which the records of Negro constributions to the development of the U.S. have been obliterated or distorted. Shows how such omissions and distortions have affected the self-image of Negroes in the U.S. and depicts the current efforts to develop among the Negroes the emotional preparation necessary for survival in white America.

1 videocassette (54 min.) : 197-

MEDIA D-16

Black history lost, stolen or strayed?

"'Significant.' 'Moving.' 'Devastating.' These are words that were used to describe this news report on African-American history when it aired in July of 1968 ... Featured segments spotlight the changing image of black Americans through film and TV clips ranging from The birth of a nation, to Amos 'n' Andy, to Guess who's coming to dinner; Freedom Day School in Philadelphia, where African-American children were taught about their heritage and racial identity; and some of America's less familiar black. heroes, including Daniel Hale Williams, the first doctor to perform open heart surgery in America"--Container.

1 videocassette (55 min.) : 2002

DANA 1888

Black Panther San Francisco State: on strike

Black Panther (15 min.) 1969 -- San Francisco State: on strike (20 min.) 1969Black Panther features interviews with founding members, Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, and Bobby Seale. Documentary footage of the organization's meetings and marches reveal a pragmatic and still relevant outline for African American communities' self-determination and development. San Francisco State: on strike recounts how students of color led a six month long strike in the fall of 1968 at San Francisco State to make their university's curriculum and admission policies more relevant and succeeded in creating the establishment of the first Ethnic Studies department in America.

1 videocassette (35 min.) : 1998

MEDIA 2-5028

The Black press soldiers without swords

"Too long have others spoken for us". A History of African-American newspapers and journalism from the mid-19th century through the 20th century. With commentary by historians, newspaper cartoonists, journalists, and photojournalists, tells of the struggles against censorship, discrimination and for freedom of the press.

1 videocassette (86 min.) : 1998

MEDIA 2-3705

Black theatre the making of a movement

Part I. Pioneers -- Part II. A theatre of our own -- Part III. Black theatre and beyondThe meaning of black theatre is discussed by accomplished playwrights, directors, producers and performers. Includes interviews with James Earl Jones, Amiri Baraka, Ed Bullins and others.

1 videocassette (114 min.) : 1978

DANA. MEDIA 359 2-1978

Blacks & Jews

Early in the 20th century black and Jewish Americans joined forces against bigotry and for civil rights but in the late 1960's each group turned inward and the coalition fell apart. This film examines the history of this collaboration and recent racial conflicts between Afro-Americans and Jews and attempts at understanding and reconciliation, with particular emphasis on events in New York City and Oakland, California.

1 videocassette (85 min.) : 1997

DANA 861

The Brooks family

The story of Afro-Americans is told through an overview of their history, a survey of the development of Afro-American communities in the United States through a century of change, and the experiences of several generations of the Brooks family.

1 filmstrip ([130] fr.) : 1981

DANA 100

CBS News special report: Remedy for riot

In this news program from 1968, Harry Reasoner reports on the findings and recommendations of President Johnson's National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. The commission's report offered an analysis of the causes of riots at that time and concluded that unless sweeping changes were made, the nation was moving towards two separate societies, black and white, separate but unequal. By interviewing business, political, religious and community leaders in Detroit, one of the cities hit hardest by turmoil, the program assesses possible courses of action in four major areas: jobs, housing, schools and welfare.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 2002

DANA XX(1810886.1)

CBS News special report: The Chicago riots

The catalyst for the Chicago rioting was an incident over black children trying to cool off at a fire hydrant. CBS News presents this special report, produced as the arson and looting raged that summer of 1966. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was in the city trying to restore order, talks at length with Mike Wallace about the underlying causes and the ongoing dialogue with Chicago mayor Richard Daley and his administration. The program offers blow-by-blow coverage of the events as well as commentary from civic and religious leaders, witnesses, and law enforcement officials to provide a contemporary overview of a society on the verge of anarchy.

1 videocassette (31 min.) : 2002

DANA XX(1810884.1)

CBS reports: Filibuster birth struggle of a law

Examines the stormy passage of Civil Rights Bill H.R. 7152 through the House of Representatives. Filmed in 1964, it begins with a report on the controversial bill's history, from its introduction by John F. Kennedy to the eve of its debate on the Senate Floor. Following that report, Eric Sevareid moderates as Senators Hubert Humphrey and Strom Thurmon engage in a live television debate on the bill's merits. Film footage of John and Robert Kennedy, Justice Dept. officials Nicholas Katzenbach and Burke Marshall, President Lyndon Johnson and the racial clashes of the early 60s captures the tensions that surrounded this most comprehensive civil righs law since Reconstruction.

1 videocassette (55 min.) : 2002

DANA XX(1810880.1)

Charles Drew determined to succeed

This documentary chronicles the life of Dr. Drew, an African- American physician who discovered a method for preserving the plasma portion of blood for use in blood transfusions. He was also assistant director of the national program for blood procurement for the American Red Cross, where he fought racism.

1 videocassette (30 min.) : 1995

DANA 1258

Charlotte Forten's mission experiment in freedom

During the Civil War, 21-year-old Charlotte Forten proposed a unique experiment to President Lincoln: allow 8,000 freed slaves on South Carolina's Sea Islands to demonstrate their equality to the nation.

1 videocassette (113 min.) 1996

MEDIA 2-6555

The Civil War era

Dr. Simmons' lecture explores the Civil War era in American religious history and closely looks at the separate religious traditions that African-Americans formed during this time.

1 videocassette (55 min.) : 1993

DANA 1455

Daughters of the dust

Story of a large African-American family as they prepare to move North at the dawn of the 20th century. The family drama reveals the unique culture of the Gullah people, descendants of slaves who lived in relative isolation on the Sea Islands off the Georgia coast.

1 videocassette (113 min.) : 1992

DANA. DANA 316 316

David Halberstam's the fifties. Volume 6, The rage within. The road to the sixtiesh[videorecording]

The rage within: America in the fifties is finally forced to examine issues of racial discrimination. The road to the sixties: Shows American involvement with fast cars, fast food, the space race, the rise of Fidel Castro in Cuba and a rising restlessness as the country moves toward the next decade.

1 videocassette (ca. 100 min.) : 1997

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-3632 2-6175

The Depression years, 1930-1940

Covers Harlem's ethnic heritage, the music and show business tradition, Father Divine and Joe Louis.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1990

MEDIA 2-1375

Dignity of man and origins of African-American theatre

Includes brief history of Black American performers, excerpt from Colored People's Time, by Leslie Lee.

1 videocassette (15 min.) : 1991

DANA 1369

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr a historical perspective

Historical overview of the struggle for racial equality in America. Focuses on the extraordinary life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. using rare and largely unseen film footage and photographs.

1 videodisc (ca. 60 min.) 2002

DANA 131

The dream keepers

From 1940-1965 racial barriers were steadily being broken and a stunning series of African-American firsts in all fields helped with racial inequities. Some fields, however, still remained closed.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-4293

The Early years, 1600-1930

Covers Harlem's growth from fishing village to Dutch farming community, wealthy New York suburb, and finally to burgeoning black neighborhood. Also covers the career of Marcus Garvey and the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-1374

Emergence of the African-American performing arts

Includes brief history of black American performers, and excerpt from Simply heavenly, by Langston Hughes.

1 videocassette (ca. 15 min.) : 1991

DANA 1370

Ethnic notions

Presents a history of the racist images and caricatures of Blacks in American culture.

1 videocassette (VHS) (58 min.) : 1986

DANA. DANA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA 59 59 2-568 2-741 D-374

Eyes on the prize America's civil rights years 1954-1965

A two-hour condensed version of the original acclaimed six-hour film series presently a history of the civil rights movement in the United States from 1954-1965. This version has been specially edited down by the original producers and embellished with related archival exhibits and teaching aids to facilitate its use in classroom instruction.

2 videodiscs (ca. 112 min.) : 1993

DANA. DANA. DANA. MEDIA. MEDIA 6 797 798 7-48 disc 1 7-49 disc 2

Fatal flood

"In the spring of 1927, after weeks of incessant rains, the Mississippi River went on a rampage from Cairo, Illinois, to New Orleans, inundating hundreds of towns, killing as many as a thousand people and leaving a million homeless. In Greenville, Mississippi, efforts to contain the river pitted the majority black population against an aristocratic plantation family, the Percys-- and the Percys against themselves."--Container.

1 videocasette (60 min.) : 2001

DANA, MEDIA 1773, 2-4351

February one

Tells the inspiring story of four remarkable young men who initiated the lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, NC on February 1, 1960.

1 videocassette (57 min.) 2004

DANA 3035

Feel it in my bones

Two African-American burial grounds, one in New York City and the other in Dallas, Texas were uncovered during recent construction raising questions about the proper commemoration of these remains.

1 videocassette (40 min.) : 1993

DANA 613

Flyers in search of a dream

The intriguing story of America's pioneering black aviators during the golden era of aviation in the 1920's and 1930's.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1986

MEDIA 2-4171

For us, the living the story of Medgar Evers

Medgar Evers, field secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi from 1954-1963, worked to help black people politically by encouraging them to register to vote. A sniper shot and killed him on June 12, 1963.

1 videocassette (88 min.) : 1995

DANA 1173

Fort Mose a new chapter in American history

Tells the story of the first legally sanctioned settlement for free Africans in America, providing important evidence that African-American colonial history extended far beyond slavery and oppression. This program traces the kidnapping of Africans, their sale as slaves in the "New World" and their escape to Spanish Florida and freedom.

1 videocassette (16 min.) : 1992

DANA 1056

A fragile freedom African American historic sites

From stops on the Underground Railroad to the sites where the grand drama of the Civil Rights Movement played out, this video tours the nation to tell the story of Black America. The eight stops take us from New York City to Jacksonville, Florida, visiting famous landmarks and overlooked sites, and exploring the significance of each with the help of local experts and other scholars. What emerges is a fascinating tapestry of the African-American experience from the 18th century to the present day.

1 videocassette (50 min.) : 2002

DANA 1841

Frederick Douglass when the lion wrote history

Archival materials and autobiographical writings are used to present the life story of Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave whose freedom was bought by supporters he met on a speaking tour in England, who became a journalist, publisher, diplomat and a passionate leader in the early fight for civil rights.

1 videocassette (90 min.) : 1994

MEDIA DANA 2-2741 2-4169 cassette 2 2-4170 cassette 3 2-4168 cassette 1 1557

Freedom bags

The story of African-American women who migrated from the rural south during the first 3 decades of the 20th century. Most could find jobs only as houseworkers.

1 videocassette (34 min.) : 1990

MEDIA 2-1624

Freedom on my mind

Documentary of the civil rights movement and the events surrounding the Mississippi Voter Registration Project of the early 1960's. Combines archival footage with contemporary interviews.

1 videocassette (110 min.) : 1994

MEDIA 2-5022

The freedom you will take

In reaction to the narrow depiction of African Americans, the contemporary culture landscape has been transformed by the power of African-American film, dance, rap-music and spoken-word scene.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-4295

From dreams to reality a tribute to minority inventors

Recognizes minority inventors, their place in American history, and the obstacles they have had to overcome.

1 videocassette (26 min.) : 1986?

MEDIA 2-874

From swastika to Jim Crow

This is a story of two cultures, each sharing a burden of oppression, brought together by the tragic circumstances of war.

1 videocassette (57 min.) 1999

MEDIA 2-6778

Fundi the story of Ella Baker

Shows the work of Ella Baker, a little-known organizer in the civil rights movement of the past fifty years. Documents the struggle of Black people for justice and equality.

1 videocassette (48 min.) : 1981

MEDIA 2-3031

The Garrett Augustus Morgan story

Chronicles the life of Garrett Morgan, son of a ex-slave, who beame the inventor of the gas mask and the traffic light.

1 videocassette (41 min.) : 1996

DANA 1082

George Wallace settin' the woods on fire

Four times governor of Alabama, four times a candidate for president, George Wallace was a fierce defender of Southern pride. This film through extensive archive footage and interviews presents the life of a man central to the civil rights years in the South, a lightening rod for controversy, a liberal judge who betrayed his principles for power, a politician who harnessed the anger lurking beneath American society to create a lasting conservative movement and a man ultimately reborn through suffering.

2 videocassettes (180 min.) : 2000

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-5086 cassette 1 2-5087 cassette 2

The Harlem temper

In this 1963 CBS News special, CBS reporter Harry Reasoner examines the economic and political scene in Harlem, a study in miniature of black leadership in conflict and crisis throughout America. Reasoner interviews civic leaders from such organizations as CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), the National Urban League, and the NAACP, along with Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., then Congressman and pastor of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 2002

DANA XX(1810870.1)

Heritage of African-American worship

The dramatic story of the African-American church in America, from Boston's African Meeting House in 1804, to Birmingham and Montgomery in the 1960s.

1 videocassette (46 min.) : 1999

DANA 1458

Hidden heritage the roots of Black American painting

Traces the work of Black American artists from the American Revolution to World War II. Places the artists' individual achievements in the context of social change, abolition of slavery, Jim Crow laws, racial violence and segregation.

1 videocassette (52 min.) : 1990?

MEDIA 2-2231

Homecoming sometimes I am haunted by memories of red dirt and clay

A documentary film exploring the history of ownership of farm lands by African Americans from Reconstruction to the present day. Their struggle for land of their own pitted them against both the Southern white power structure and the federal agencies responsible for helping them. As part of Reconstruction, Congress alloted 45 million acres of land to former slaves but little land was ever actually distributed. Despite formidable obstacles one million African Americans, mostly former sharecroppers, managed to purchase over 15 million acres of land by 1910.

1 videocassette (56 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-5030

I have a dream

Martin Luther King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963.

1 videocassette (ca. 28 min.) : 1986

DANA 1038

"I have a dream" : Martin Luther King and the non-violent crusade, August 28, 1963. [Videorecording]

Martin Luther King's address and highlights of the March on Washington.

1 cassette, 30 min. : 1970

DOUGLASS 36

I have a dream the life of Martin Luther King

Uses actual news film footage in a study of the life of Martin Luther King and the forces that brought him to the leadership of his people.

1 videocassette (35 min.) : 198

MEDIA D-196

I remember Harlem

"This special one-hour condensed version of the 'I remember Harlem' series covers the progression of Harlem from fishing village to wealthy New York suburb, to international synonym for Black America, to Harlem's future. It spotlights some of Harlem's most famous residents, including Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Paul Robeson, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Marcus Garvey, and Malcolm X"--Container.

1 videocassette (55 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-2977

Ida B. Wells

Profiles the life and work of African-American journalist Ida B. Wells, who worked to stop lynchings and violence against Blacks.

1 videocassette (27 min.) : 1993

DANA 1257

Ida B. Wells a passion for justice

Born into slavery in Mississippi at the end of the Civil War, Wells became a school teacher and journalist. Her personal sense of integrity and justice carried her into a lifelong crusade against racism, sexism, and lynching.

1 videocassette (ca. 55 min.) ; 1991

DANA MEDIA 187 2-860

In medical science presents Black achievements in medicine and science

"Bill Jenkins, Ph.D., M.P.H. and Walter Williams, M.D., M.P.H. discuss their duties at CDC and their academic and professional training that has led to their current professions. They talk about key aspects of their professions for an insight into epidemiology."--Container.

1 videocassette (30 min.) : 1997

DANA 1256

In remembrance of Martin

This tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. is composed of testimonies by his family, associates, and government leaders, and includes documentary footage.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1986

MEDIA DANA 2-4192 1848

In search of the American dream origins, a story of the African-American experience

This program begins with the arrival of 20 Africans forcibly brought to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 and examines the impact of slavery on African Americans. Dr. C. Eric Lincoln explains the importance of African roots for African Americans and shows how the African cultural heritage--music, dance, art, storytelling--is manifested in American life.

1 videocassette (52 min.) : 1991

DANA 856

International Sweethearts of Rhythm America's hottest all-girl band

Reminiscences by band members of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an all-female Black band that originated at the Piney Woods School in Mississippi, and became a popular band of the 1930's and 1940's.

1 videocassette : 1986

JAZZ. MEDIA 95 2-819

James Baldwin the price of the ticket

Opening with the funeral of James Baldwin, this film traces the life history and accomplishments of this great black writer. Includes interviews with friends and colleagues, including Maya Angelou, Amin Baraka, his brother David, and his mother Berdis.

1 videocassette (ca. 87 min.) : 1989

DANA. MEDIA 363 2-997

John Henrik Clarke a great and mighty walk

John Henrik Clarke discusses the history of Afro-Americans, placing it within the context of the history of Africa and Africans and their relationship with non-African civilizations such as Greek, Roman, European, Christian, and Islamic.

1 videocassette (94 min.) : 1996

DANA 1298

The killing floor

Frank Custer is a young black man from rural Mississippi who, in 1917, came north to make his fortune at the beginning of World War I. There, the only job he can get is at one of Chicago's meat-packing plants, working in the slaughtering area called the killing floor, where he is caught up in a war between the "packers" and those trying to form a labor union.

1 videocassette (118 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-3441

King, Montgomery to Memphis

Dramatic account of the struggle for equality and justice waged by both black and white Americans from 1955 to 1968. Records the fiery and triumphant battle of Martin Luther King, Jr. and depicts his philosophy of non-violence.

1 videocassette (103 min,) : 1988

MEDIA 2-533

Legacy of a dream

Describes the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

1 videocassette (30 min.) : 1990

DANA 1002

Liberators fighting on two fronts in World War II

The experiences of African-American soldiers during World War II reflected the racial climate of 1940s America, a society marked by strict segregation and frequent acts of violence. Black combat battalions existed but were only used toward the end of the war, when manpower grew short in Europe.

1 videocassette (90 min.) : 1992

DANA. MEDIA 280 2-2106

The life and legend of Sojourner Truth

Traces the life and legend of the former slave who could neither read nor write, yet earned a reputation as one of the most articulate and outspoken antislavery and women's rights activists in the United States.

1 videocassette (57 min.) : 2001

DANA. MEDIA 1855 2-544

Lift every voice

Looks at the trials and tribulations of the first generation of African-Americans born into freedom, focusing on the contributions of this generation to the arts. Presents biographies of Bert Williams and George Walker in vaudeville and Oscar Micheaux in film. Video also discusses the birth of jazz.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-4290

A lynching in Marion

In August, 1930, a 16-year-old African-American named James Cameron survived a lynching in Marion, Indiana. Now, 65 years later, Cameron tells his compelling story in vivid detail.

1 videocassette (28 min.) : 1994

MEDIA 2-4258

Malcolm X death of a prophet

A documentary showing the life of Malcolm X, his leadership in the Black Muslim movement, and his influence on black Americans and African nations.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1992

DANA 1133

Marcus Garvey look for me in the whirlwind

Uses a wealth of archival film, photographs and documents to uncover the story of this Jamaican immigrant who between 1916 and 1921 built the largest black mass movement in world history.

1 videocassette (90 min.) : 2001

MEDIA DANA 2-4003a 1772

Martin Luther King commemorative collection

In remembrance of Martin -- The speeches of Martin Luther KingPresents two stirring documentaries on the work and life of Martin Luther King. "In remembrance of Martin" is composed of testimonies by his family, associates, and government leaders, and includes documentary footage. "The Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr." contains all of his major speeches.

1 videocassette (115 min.) : 1996

DANA 1007

Mary McLeod Bethune the spirit of a champion

Chronicles the life of Mary McLeod Bethune, one of the major pioneers of Black education in the U.S.

1 videocassette (30 min.) : 1996

DANA 1254

The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry

The story of the first officially sanctioned regiment of northern Black soldiers formed in Boston during the Civil War.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1991

DANA 1771

Material witness race, identity and the politics of gangsta rap

Living with difference -- The denial of race -- Race and language -- Black essentialism as defense -- American hybridity -- Complexity of black identity -- An American mix: DuBois & the classics -- Hip-hop culture as material witness to urban neglect -- Representin' the afflicted's story -- Gangsta rap and the market -- The burden of the race artist -- A limited choice: purity or stereotype -- A wrong response: the elders react -- Towards a politics of anti-essentialismDyson talks about the important issues of essentialism and notions of identity within the context of race, and discusses hip hop culture and the conflicts around gangsta rap.

1 videocassette (42 min.) : 1995

MEDIA 2-2628

Memphis dreams: Searching for the promised land

When Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in 1968 Memphis--like Dallas in 1963--became a symbol of hope extinguished. This program examines the Civil Rights Movement and the last few years of Martin Luther King's life with emphasis on the sanitation workers strike in Memphis, Tennessee and the killing of America's greatest civil rights leader, its impact on Afro-Americans and the nation.

1 videocassette (46 min.) : 1999

DANA XX(1810546.1)

Midnight ramble Oscar Micheaux and the story of race movies

A documentary recounting the history of the independent film industry that produced close to 500 "race movies" for African-American audiences between 1910 and 1940. Focuses especially on the work of Oscar Micheaux, a controversial filmmaker who wrote, produced, and directed over 40 features.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1994

MEDIA 2-4052

Miles of smiles, years of struggles the untold story of the Black Pullman Porter

Chronicles the organizing of the first black trade union--the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This inspiring story of the Pullman porters provides the most in-depth account on film of African-American working life between the Civil War and World War II.

1 videocassette (59 min., 30 sec.) : 1983

DANA. MEDIA 360 2-927

Mississippi, America

Mississippi Summer, 1964 -- The Attorneys -- The Crusaders -- The Strategy -- The Legacy -- The Unfinished agendaThrough an examination of historical events of 1964, this program gives testimony to persistence and courage in the face of oppression, as citizens and the lawyers who volunteered to help them, confront violence, murder and government repression in Mississippi in order to win the right to vote for Afro-American citizens.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1995

MEDIA 2-4206

Mississippi summer the unfinished journey

Examines the history of the civil rights struggle in Mississippi during the 1960s using documentary film footage and interviews with some of the participants.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1993

MEDIA 2-2679

The murder of Emmett Till

The shameful, sadistic murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, a black boy who whistled at a white woman in a Mississippi grocery store in 1955, was a powerful catalyst for the civil rights movement. Although Till's killers were apprehended, they were quickly acquitted by an all-white, all-male jury and proceeded to sell their story to a journalist, providing grisly details of the murder. Three months after Till's body was recovered, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began.

1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.) : 2003

DANA MEDIA 1802 2-4379

Nat Turner a troublesome property

A chronicle about the multiple ways the Nat Turner slave revolt has been remembered and interpreted by historians, novelists, dramatists, and artists.

1 videocassette (58 min.) 2002

MEDIA 2-6463

A Nation of law? 1968-1971

By the late 1960's, the anger in the poorer urban areas over charges of police brutality was smoldering. In Chicago, Fred Hampton formed a Black Panther Party chapter. During this same period, inmates at New York's Attica Prison took over the prison in an effort to publicize intolerable conditions.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1990

MEDIA 2-4159

The Negro soldier

Traces the role of the Negro soldier in American history from 1776 to 1944. Shows the accomplishments of Negro troops.

1 videocassette (49 min.) : 1990

MEDIA 2-1294

Not a rhyme time

Between 1963 and 1986, a cultural revolution began as black artists challenged mainstream aesthetics, identity and power, and ultimately defied the very notion of a mainstream.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-4294

Oh freedom after while

In January 1939, Missouri Bootheel sharecroppers--black and white--staged a dramatic roadside protest to call attention to unjust treatment by local plantation owners. Their demonstration spurred the U.S. government to develop new housing for displaced sharecroppers. Some demonstrators also established a remarkable farming community--and learned how to make lasting change in their lives.

1 videocassette (57 min.) : 1999

MEDIA 2-5023

One doctor Daniel Hale Williams

"This is the first video biography on the Black surgeon who was the first person to successfully perform an operation on the human heart, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. 'One doctor' covers his life and career and his heart operation that gave him international acclaim in 1893."--Container.

1 videocassette (45 min.) : 1997

DANA 1261

Panther

A dramatization of the clash between the Black Panthers, led by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, and the FBI, in Oakland, California in 1968.

1 videocassette (123 min.) : 1995

DANA 943

Paul Robeson

"Paul Robeson was one of America's famous artists. In this program, you will see how he used his international acclaim to focus world attention on racial injustices suffered by African-Americans. His efforts world-wide for working class people in the 1930s, 40s and 50s is highlighted."--Container.

1 videocassette (36 min.) : 1994

DANA 1250

Paul Robeson here I stand

Presents the life and achievements of Paul Robeson, an athlete, singer, actor, scholar and champion of the rights of the poor, the disenfranchised and people of color.

1 videocassette (117 min.) : 1999

DANA. DANA 1578 1578

Paul Robeson, the tallest tree in our forest

A documentary on the life of Paul Robeson, begun shortly before his death in 1976, from information held in the Paul Robeson Archives. Robeson is shown as a man of convictions, and he discusses how he came to be a singer from his start as an actor.

1 videocassette (90 min.) : 1993

DANA 474

A. Philip Randolph for jobs & freedom

Music: Jesus is a rock in the weary land -- La Guiablesse: Entrance of Les Porteuse -- Night -- Let's all be Americans now -- On Jersey shore -- Get on board -- Now let me fly -- Pullman porter blues -- Hold the fort -- Mean low blues -- Happy days are here again -- Defense factory blues -- I'm so glad -- We shall overcomeBiography of the African American labor leader, journalist, and civil rights activist, A. Philip Randolph. Randolph won the first national labor agreement for a black union, The Sleeping Car porters. His threat of a protest march on Washington forced President Roosevelt to ban segregation in the federal government and defense industries at the onset of WWII and later he forced Truman to integrate the military. Finally with the 1963 March on Washington, Randolph succeeded in placing civil rights at the forefront of the nation's legislative agenda as he passed the torch to Martin Luther King, Jr. Includes music of the labor and civil rights movements.

1 videocassette (87:10 min.) : 1996

DANA 871

A Place of rage

Prominent black women comment upon experiences of Afro-American women, upon racial discrimination and its effects upon the American culture and make suggestions which they hope will improve the future. Includes historical footage of civil rights movement in the 1960's.

1 videocassette (52 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-2570

Richard Wright writing is his weapon

Discusses the life, work, and ideas of the black American novelist Richard Wright.

1 videocassette (25 min.) : 1995

DANA. DANA 557 557

The Road to Brown the untold story of the man who killed Jim Crow

Documentary on segregation in the South and the legal campaign against it. Profiles black lawyer Charles Houston, whose work in attacking the segregation laws ("Jim Crow") ultimately led to the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case.

1 videocassette (ca. 58 min.) : 1990

DANA. MEDIA 408 2-2619

The Second American revolution

Hosts Bill Moyers, Ruby Dee, and Ossie Davis examine the search of Blacks for racial equality in twentieth-century America. Includes archival film and still photographs of the great personalities and events of the freedom movement.

2 videocassettes (120 min.) : 1988

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-4093 2-4094

Sojourner Truth ain't I a woman

In the middle 1800's, at the age of 46, Sojourner Truth set out across New England, speaking at prayer meetings and gatherings. Although she was plain-spoken and uneducated, audiences were moved. She became known for her persuasive ability to speak about politics, religion, slavery and women's rights.

1 videocassette (26 min.) : 1989

MEDIA 2-3838

Solomon Northup's odyssey

Focuses on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free Black man from Saratoga, N.Y., who was kidnapped in 1841 and forced into slavery in Louisiana for twelve years.

1 videocassette (113 min.) : 1984

DANA. DANA 1422 1422

A Son of Africa

A docudrama based on the book, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Oloudah Equiano", or "Gustavus Vaasa the African", which was the first influential slave autobiography. When it was published in 1789, it fueled a growing anti-slavery movement in the U.S. and England. This production employs dramatic reconstruction, archival material and interviews with scholars.

1 videocassette (28 min.) : 1995

MEDIA 2-2906

Still revolutionaries

This compelling documentary explores the lives of two women who were in the Black Panther Party between 1969 and 1975. Katherine Campbell and Madalynn Rucker reflect on the reasons and events that led to their joining the Black Panthers, the type of work they did within the Party, and the challenges they faced as they chose to leave it and reconstruct their lives.

1 videocassette (16 min.) : 2000

DANA 1424

The strange demise of Jim Crow

Told by the participants themselves, this documentary reveals the behind-the-scenes compromises, negotiations, and the controversial news black-outs which helped bring about the quiet desegregation of commercial establishments in Houston, Texas.

1 videocassette (56 min.) : 1998

MEDIA 2-5855

The struggle for racial equality : the civil rights movement, 1948-1963

Fifteen years of non-violent protest for desegregation and racial justice from the 1948 political secession of the South to the 1963 March on Washington. Includes statements by Presidents, George Wallace, and Black leaders.

1 cassette, 30 min. : 1970

DOUGLASS 33

Struggles in steel a story of African-American steelworkers

Interviews with more than 70 retired black steelworkers who tell of struggles with the company, the union and white co-workers to break out of the black job ghetto. Film traces a century of black industrial history--the use of blacks as strikebreakers against the all-white union during the 1892 Homestead Strike, the Great Migration of fieldworkers to the North in World War I, the racial divisions between workers during the Great Steel Strike of 1919 and the ultimate success of the CIO organizing drives of the 1930s.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1996

MEDIA DANA 2-2994 872

Then I'll be free to travel home

The story of the discovery of the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan and the fight throughout the 1990's to preserve it is told in the context of the history of African-Americans in New York during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

2 videocassettes (142 min.) 1999

DANA. DANA 3040 cassette 1 3040 cassette 2

This house of power

A tribute to the role of the church in the African-American experience, this documentary traces the development of the church from its origins as an "invisible institution" among the slaves to its present-day role as a major force for social change.

1 videocassette (64 min.) : DANA 1130

A time for justice

Depicts the major events of the American civil rights movement up until the passage of the 1964 Voting Rights Act with eyewitness accounts and original footage.

1 videocassette (38 min.) : 2001

MEDIA 2-6119

To be somebody

Many Americans, struggling to survive the Great Depression, were determined to help build a better America through direct action in the courts, in the Congress and in everyday life. Black heavy-weight champion Joe Louis became a symbol of national strength at a time when lynchings, segregation, and anti-semitism were commonplace. In different ways both Louis and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt challenged America to live up to its promise of justice and opportunity for people of every race and faith.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 199

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-2227 2-4181

To serve my country, to serve my race

Using interviews and archival footage, the program shows the contribution black women in the military made to World War II and the discrimination they encountered.

1 videocassette (59 min.) : 1997

MEDIA 2-6037

Toward a New Day, 1965-1980

Covers Harlem's decline and rebirth, the Harlem churches and some predictions for the future. Features James Farmer, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-1377

Toward freedom, 1940-1965

Covers Harlem's politics of protest, World War II, the emergence of uptown gangs and social growth in the 1960's, the Apollo Theater, the emergence of Malcolm X.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-1376

Trial by television

From sensational television news coverage and "movies-of-the-week" to cameras in every courtroom in America, the effect of mass audience participation during law enforcement process poses serious questions about the outcome of criminal proceedings.

1 videocassette (50 min.) : 1993

DANA 1246

The Tuskegee airmen

A celebration of the "Fighting 99th", the first squadron of black combat fighters in World War II, who battled prejudice in training at Tuskegee, Ala., the Axis in North Africa and Europe, bigotted officers assigned to oversee them, and a U.S. congressman out to prove they were unfit to serve.

1 videocassette (106 min.) : 1995

DANA MEDIA 1051 10-171

The Tuskegee airmen

In 1941, with the world at war, a select group of African Americans made their way to Tuskegee, Alabama. They were to be part of an experiment - an experiment to see if blacks had the intellectual and physical ability to fly an aircraft in combat. They traveled to the deep South, into the heart of segregation, with dreams of becoming their country's first black fighter pilots. None could have imagined the struggle that lay before them. None could have forseen the legends they would become. All knew one thing, however. They were determined to become Tuskegee Airmen.

1 videodisc (ca. 60 min.) 2003

DANA 115

Unchained memories readings from the slave narratives

When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than 4 million slaves were set free. By the late 1930's, 100,000 former slaves were still alive. In the midst of the Great Depression, journalists and writers traveled the country to record the memories of the last generation of African-Americans born into bondage. Over 2,000 interviews were transcribed as spoken, in the vernacular of the time, to form a unique historical record. Presented here are dramatic readings from these narratives, bringing to life the pride and spirit of those born into slavery.

1 videocassette (75 min.) : 2003

DANA MEDIA 22 XX(1800413.1)

Underground Railroad

Tells the story of the struggle to break the bonds of slavery in the American South: a story of secret codes, hidden way-stations and clandenstine "conductors." A story not of a railway, but of a loosely organized network of runaway slaves, freed blacks and anti-slavery whites, all willing to risk their lives in the name of liberty. Presenting dramatic re-creations of escapes, this documentary also chronicles the achievements of abolitionist figures Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman and William Lloyd Garrison.

1 videocassette (100 min.) : 1999

DANA 1820

Unearthing the slave trade

On the eve of the American Revolution, New York City had the largest number of enslaved Africans of any colonial settlement outside Charleston. Though this has seldom been acknowledged, African labor was essential in the building of New York. Today, archeological excavation of sites on both sides of the Atlantic is bringing to light aspects of the slave trade long buried in the liberal minds of those north of the Mason-Dixon line.

1 videocassette (28 min.) : 1994

DANA. DANA. MEDIA 611 611 2-3336

W.E.B. Du Bois a biography in four voices

In this film, four prominent African American writers, Wesley Brown, Thulani Davis, Toni Cade Bambara and Amiri Baraka each narrate a period of his life and describe his impact on their work.

1 videocassette (116 min.) : 1995

MEDIA 2-2904

W.E.B. DuBois of Great Barrington

Traces the life of W.E.B. DuBois from his birth in Great Barrington, Massachusetts through his years in Ghana, Africa. This biographical program examines his life through archival footage, photographs, and interviews with people who knew him.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1992

DANA. MEDIA 1531 2-4239

We can change the world

Examines the heady idealism of the 1960's when it seemed posible that youth could change the world ; when more teenagers entered college than ever before ; when John F. Kennedy inspired social and political activism on both the left and the right ; and when the civil rights movement reached a peak of influence, involvement, and momentum.

1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1991

MEDIA 2-1236

We shall overcome the song that moved a nation

Originally a black religious song, then a union organizing song, "We shall overcome" gradually became the protest anthem that set America marching towards racial equality. By tracing the sources of one song, the film uncovers the diverse strands of social history which flowed together to form the Civil Rights movement. Julian Bond, Andrew Young and others reminisce about what this song meant during the sit-ins, voter registration drives and protest marches of the sixties.

1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1989

MEDIA 2-2030

Without fear or shame

This program discusses the lives of African-American leaders W.E.B Du Bois, A. Philip Randolph, and Marcus Garvey; the Harlem Renaissance and its major figures, such as Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes.Examines the conflicts which arose over what art should express when community leaders seek to use it in the struggle for racial justice.

1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.) : 1999

DANA. MEDIA 1349 2-4291