African American Studies

In this thought-provoking, full feature documentary by Ava Duvernay, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom.

The gripping story of Robert King Wilkerson, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, men who have endured solitary confinement longer then any known living prisoner in the United States. Politicized through contact with the Black Panther Party while inside Louisiana's prisons, they formed one of the only prison Panther chapters in history and worked to organize other prisoners into a movement for the right to live like human beings.

In The Black Fatherhood Project, filmmaker Jordan Thierry leads viewers through an honest and essential exploration of fatherhood in Black America, providing historical context and conversation for an issue at the core of the Black experience today.

Documenting Ferguson is a freely available resource that seeks to preserve and make accessible the digital media captured and created by community members following the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, 2014. Our project has the ultimate goal of providing diverse perspectives on the events in Ferguson and the resulting social dialogue.

An explosive video goes viral, showing a white school resource officer in South Carolina pull a Black teenager from her school desk and throw her across the floor. An outraged nation divides over who is at fault and what role race played in the incident. Healer-Activist Vivian Anderson uproots her life in NYC and moves to South Carolina to help the girl and dismantle the system behind the "Assault at Spring Valley."

Revolution '67 focuses on the explosive urban rebellion in Newark, New Jersey, in July 1967, to reveal the long-standing racial, economic, and political forces which generated inner city poverty and perpetuate it today.

This short documentary features Black women active in politics as well as community, labour and feminist organizing. They share their insights and personal testimonies on the double legacy of racism and sexism, linking their personal struggles with the ongoing battle to end systemic discrimination and violence.

A look at the feminist movement from a new perspective -- that of women who were not high-profile activists, but whose lives were none the less affected by the changes in society. The women featured here came of age in the early 50's, from varied racial, ethnic and social backgrounds.

This archive was created to serve as an online resource for African American home movie research by streamlining access to difference contributing institutions.

Documenting pivotal moments in the 20th century civil rights movement— along with articles, digital shorts and original features exploring America’s continued struggle with race, democracy and justice.

Explore Black history and culture though films, stories, and voices across public media. Non-commercial, Educational Use Only.

Described as "Cliff Notes" for the digital age, this unique style of storytelling to chronicle the many contributions and achievements of African-Americans throughout history.

Say Brother is GBH Archives in Boston’s longest-running public affairs television program by, for and about African Americans, now known as Basic Black. Say Brother programs date from 1968 to 1982. Explore this collection of programming, whether performance, political commentary, or conversations with distinct voices from the African American community.

Video footage from the segregation era, documents the millions of white Americans who arrested, beat, bombed, and terrorized civil rights demonstrators, including children.

Publicly available digital archive of African-American history. Contains more than 400,000 items from over 1,000 libraries and cultural organizations.

This book looks at the popularity of hip-hop among America's white youth. It asks whether white identification is rooted in admiration and a desire to transcend race or if it is merely a new chapter in the long continuum of stereotyping, mimicry and cultural appropriation?

A feature film about the experiences of two black families from upstate New York -- fathers and sons who enlisted in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and fought in the American Civil War.

The true story of Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima Ibn Sori, a West African prince who was sold into slavery in 1788, eventually ending up in Natchez, Mississippi.

Episode 1: The downward spiral
Episode 2: Liberty in the air
Episode 3: Seeds of destruction
Episode 4: The challenge of freedom

The 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.

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.

"Traces the journey to freedom taken by countless slaves, showing how they were guided, protected and pursued along the way. The extraordinary story is told through historical documents, visits to important sites, interviews with the descendants of noted abolitionists and commentary from experts"