Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut “Summer of Soul (… Or, if the revolution couldn’t be televised)” brings to light astonishingly beautiful shots of a criminally overlooked festival with an undeniable historical impact. For 50 years, 45 hours of footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in New York lay in a basement and remained unseen … Read more
In the summer of 1969, a multicultural concert was held in New York. The festival featured a wide variety of artists destined to become part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The meeting was both a time to celebrate the art of its time and a means to peacefully protest the atrocities in … Read more
The Neutral Ground is shown in theaters and is also the opening program of PBS’s acclaimed POV series. It can be streamed from POV.org until August 2nd. “Race is about American history and each of our own stories. Overcoming racism is more than an issue or a cause – it is also a story that … Read more
In the summer of 1969, the same summer as Woodstock, some of the greatest musical acts of the time such as Stevie Wonder, BB King, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson and The Fifth Dimension performed at Mount Morris Park in New York. Woodstock was immortalized. Forget the Harlem Cultural Festival. But … Read more
Daughter of a Lost Bird is streaming from the AFI Docs Film Festival. To access it, go here. Every now and then we spot a little bird in the grass. She seems to be alone, but looks healthy; her mother has probably looked after her well until now. Did she fall out of the nest … Read more
Storm Lake streaming from AFI Docs Film Festival; for access go here. The Storm Lake Times has appeared twice weekly since 1990 in the small Iowa community of 11,000 people. This family newspaper is run by John Cullen, the editor and founder; Art Cullen, the editor, a liberal advocate for fact-based journalism who has won … Read more
Searchers is streaming from the AFI Docs Film Festival. For a ticket go here. Modern apps have become our all-purpose tools for navigating, manipulating information, and trying to understand the complicated world we live in. We use Google as a library that gives us access to all the information and possessions we crave. We indulge … Read more
This film, shown at the AFI Docs Film Festival, is streamed on National Geographic and Hulu. On May 31 and June 1, 1921, the affluent black community of Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was attacked and almost completely destroyed in what historians and scholars have described as one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American … Read more
Staples goes first, alone and great. Jackson follows her with equal strength and despite everything that has tormented her. Then together – Jackson radiant in a fuchsia dress with a gold diamond under her chest; Clamps in something short, lace, belt and white – they embark on the most amazing duet I’ve ever heard, seen … Read more
“Every big dream starts with a dreamer. Always remember that you have the strength, patience and passion within you to reach for the stars to change the world.”– Harriet Tubman, African American abolitionist In the Heights is a vibrant, energetic, and emotionally rich cinematic adaptation of the Broadway show that won the 2008 Tony Award … Read more