VIDEOS/DVDs BEGINNING WITH LETTER A
A. Philip
Randolph: For Jobs & Freedom. San Francisco, CA: California
Newsreel, 1996, 1995. 1 videocassette (88 min.)
Biography 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 again 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. AFR Video 310
Abby. United States: CineFear Releasing, c2003.1 videodisc (92 min.)
The wife of a minister is possessed by a Nigerian sex demon. AFR Videodisc 98
Across 110th Street. Santa Monica, CA: Distributed by MGM Home Entertainment, c2001. 1 videodisc (101 min.)
A hard-edged cop on the take for years battles the Mafia and local gangsters in Harlem. AFR Videodisc 101
Adam
Clayton Powell. New York, N.Y.: Filmakers Library, 199-? 1 videocassette
(54 min.)
Highlighting both his remarkable achievements and his fatal flaws, this
documentary is a dramatic portrait of Adam Clayton Powell, the flamboyant
black Congressman and minister who became one of the most powerful,
controversial politicians of his time. AFR Video 529
Adios Amigo. [United States?]: Trinity Home Entertainment, c2005. 1 videodisc (87 min.) Off beat western comedy featuring the coolest, craziest cowboys who ever conquered the West. AFR Videodisc 96
Africa. Arlington, VA: Bono Film & Video Services, 1994. 1 videocassette
(27 min.)
Film directors and producers in African countries talk about African
cinema, African arts, and African films. AFR Video 124
Africa: Different But Equal (Program 1). Boston, MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by
Basil Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
For over four centuries Africa was ravished by the slave trade. This
has permanently distorted our view of the continent and its people.
Davidson goes back to Africa's origins to show that, far from having
no great art or technology. Africa gave rise to some of the world's
greatest early civilizations. AFR Video 9 Programs 1-2
Africa: Mastering a Continent (Program 2). Boston, MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by
Basil Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
Looking closly at three different communities, Davidson examines the
way African people carve out an existence in an often hostile environment.
A group of Pokot cattle herders in Kenya tell how they use the natural
environment to their advanage. Two very different farming villages show
how, in Africa, spiritual development goes hand in hand with technological
advance. AFR Video 9 Programs 1-2
Africa: Caravans of Gold (Program 3). Boston, MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by
Basil Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
Davidson traces the routes of the medieval gold trade, which reached
from Africa to India and China in the east, and westward to the city
states of Italy. African rulers grew rich and powerful--the King of
Ghana was described by an Arab traveler in AD 951 as the wealthiest
of all kings on earth. It was the coming of the Portuguese in 1498 which
heralded the end of the great African trade. AFR Video 9 Programs 3-4
Africa: Kings and Cities (Program 4). Boston, MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by
Basil Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
To explore the ways in which the African kingdoms functioned, Davidson
visits Kano in Nigeria, where a king still holds court in his 15th century
palace, presiding with his council over ancient rituals which continue
to command the respect of the people. AFR Video 9 Programs
3-4
Africa: The Bible and The Gun (Program 5). Boston, MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by
Basil Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
The slave trade in Africa decimated the population and rent apart the
fabric of society. After the slave traders came new kinds of interlopers:
first, the explorers, among them Stanley and Livingstone; and then the
missionaries. Next came those interested not in souls but in wealth--gold
and diamonds--men like Cecil Rhodes, who envisioned an empire stretching
from "Cape to Cairo." AFR Video 9 Programs
5-6
Africa: This Magnificent African Cake (Program 6). Boston, MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by
Basil Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
The 1880's saw the beginning of a 30-year "scramble for Africa,"
which dramatically changed the face of the continent. All of Africa,
except for Liberia and Ethiopia, became subject to colonial rule, a
condition unchanged until the outbreak of the Second World War. AFR
Video 9 Programs 5-6
Africa: The Rise of Nationalism (Program 7). Boston, MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by
Basil Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
Here the major struggles for African independence--in Ghana, Kenya,
Algeria, the Belgian Congo--are all charted. Davidson looks closely
at the situation in Guinea Bissau and talks to the military leader in
Mozambique. He also focuses on the final collapse of the white minority
in Zimbabwe and then turns to South Africa to question how long this
final bastion of white rule can survive. AFR Video 9 Programs
7-8
Africa: The Legacy (Program 8). Boston,
MA: Home Vision; Evanston, IL: Viewfinders, 1984. Narrated by Basil
Davidson. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
Davidson looks at Africa in the aftermath of colonial rule, as the continent
seeks ways to come to terms with its diverse inheritance. Interviews
with statesmen, including Maugabe in Zimbabwe, Shagari in Nigeria and
Senghor in Senegal, illuminate the problems and successes of Africa
today. AFR Video 9 Programs 7-8
Africa:
A History Denied. Alexandria, VA: Time Life Video & Television,
1995. 1 videocassette (48 min.)
This program uncovers a lost city, Great Zimbabwe which reached the
height of its glory in the 14th century and Africa's Swahili coast,
the wealthy center of the thriving gold and ivory trades until the 16th
century. AFR Video 175
Africa: Continent of Contrasts. Author, Mary Lee Nolan; producer, George H. Russell. Huntsville, TX: Educational Video Network, 1994. 1 videocassette (35 min.). + 1 guide (1 folded sheet; 11 x 14 cm.) AFR Video 373
Africa,
Contemporary Changes in Historical Perspective: A Film. Carlsbad,
CA: CRM Films, 1991. (25 min.)
Gives insights into Africa's geography, culture and history along with
a description of the many problems confronting the nations of this emerging
continent. AFR Video 11
Africa.
Episode 8, the Legacy. Africa. a Mitchell Beazley Television, RM
Arts/Channel Four co-production, 1985. 1 videocassette (106 min.)
Basil Davidson examines the development of post colonial African cities
and analyzes challenges and issues facing modern African cities such
as Lagos and Nairobi. Guillaume explores the history of Blacks in American
film. Five artists are examined for their ground breaking paotrayals
of Blacs and for their significant contribution to the movie industry.
AFR Video 537
Africa In Defiance of Democracy. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2004. 1 videodisc (56 min.)
Throughout Africa, democracy has long been touted as the cure for the continent’s ongoing unrest. But can such a form of government flourish in countries where extreme poverty is the norm and violence is the chief tool of statecraft? Spanning the continent from Libya to South Africa, this program seeks to understand Africa’s complex political situations, addressing the ’Big Man’ syndrome and the one-party state, the destabilizing effects of armed conflict, the mismanagement of industry and natural resources, and strained relations with the industrialized world. AFR Videodisc 275
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 1: Savanna Homecoming. United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Witness the splendor of East Africa's golden plains in this story of
two women and their journeys between bustling cities and rural landscapes.
Through these personal tales, set against a backdrop of age-old animal
migrations, you'll experience urban traditional life in the magnificent
land known as the cradle of humankind. AFR Video 501 v.1
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 2: Desert Odyssey. United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Examine the harsh beauty of the Sahara desert through the eyes of a
nine-year-old boy as he embarks on his first camel caravan. Following
thime-honored Tuareg tradition, the boy and the men of his village make
a 1,500 mile, six-month trek that provides an opportunity for commerce
and serves as a voyage of discovery. AFR Video 501 v.1
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 3: Voices of the Forest. United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
The dense, mysterious rain forest of Central Africa's Congo River Basin
is home to the Baka people and a complex variety of plants and animals.
But the logging of its old growth timber by outside interests could
endanger the rain forest itself, threaten Baka villages, and have an
adverse impact on a local business. AFR Video 501 v.2
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 4: Mountains of Faith. United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Discover Ethiopia's rugged beauty and ancient traditions in a tale tracing
the lives of two ambitions young men on the brink of manhood. Follow
a precocious entrepreneur on his annual pilgrimage from the cosmopolitan
capital to a time-honored celebration in his family's rural village.
Then join another young man as he embarks on a spiritual journey deep
in the Horn of Africa. AFR Video 501 v.2
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 5: Love in the Sahel . United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Near the edge of the desolate and wind-swept Sahara, two young men participate
in age-old rituals guided by nature's complex rhythms. But despite their
different backgrounds, bouth youths have the same goal: To make a successful
passage into manhood and become full-fledged members of their respective
communities. AFR Video 501 v.3
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 6: Restless Waters . United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
In the midst of Africa's fertile heartlands, on Lake Vicoria, the continent's
largest lak...a man is about to risk his family's savings for a chance
at a better future. Meanwhile, 500 miles away, in the Kilmbero Valley,
another family's fortune is at the mercy of the elements. AFR
Video 501 v.3
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 7: Leopards of Zanzibar. United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
On the sunny island of Zanzibar, off Africa's eastern coast, an amateur
soccer team has qualified to compete in a championship match on the
mainland. But in a place still tied to the past, these men, who make
their living from the sea, discover that keeping pace with modern changes
can help them reach their goal. AFR Video 501 v.4
Africa,
National Geographic: Episode 8: Southern Treasures . United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Since apartheid's dramatic dowfall in 1994, South Africans from all
walks of life have embarked on a remarkable journey in search of a new
future. Witness their efforts and challenges through the eyes of young
women seeking new careers, miners struggling in a changing industry,
and indigenous peoples recaliming a storied past. AFR Video
501 v.4
Africa,
National Geographic: The Making of Africa. United
States: National Geographic Video, 2001. 1 video cassette (120 min.)
Join the project's director, producers, cameramen, and researchers as
they travel to 16 countries to meet the challenge of artfully documenting
the relationship between extranordinary people and fascinating wildlife
in the most incridible landscape on Earth. AFR Video 501 v.5
African
American Artists Affirmation Today. [Washington, D.C.]: National
Arts and Humanities Education Program : National Museum of American
Art, Smithsonian Institution, [1994]. 1 videocassette (29 mins.), 25
slides, 1 study guide, 1 book
This instructional kit presents an interdisciplinary approach to the
study of 19th and 20th century African-American art: the video presents
interviews with five contemporary African-American artists; the slides
show the work of twenty-five artists represented in the museum's collection;
Regenia A. Perry's book gives a comprehensive look at African-American
artists from the 19th-20th centuries in the Museum's collection and
their contribution to American culture. AFR Video 198
The
African American Holiday of Kwanzaa: Celebration of Family, Community
& Culture. Los Angeles, CA: University of Sankore Press, 1995.
(30 min.)
This video shows interview with Maulana Karenga who is the creator of
Kwanzaa, candle lighting ceremony, explanation of the symbols of Kwanzaa,
libation ceremony, African dance, drumming, and the Kwanzaa Karamu (feast). AFR Video 235
African American Lives. Alexandria, VA: PBS Home Video; Hollywood, Calif.: Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, [2006] 1 videodisc (ca. 240 min.) A compelling combination of storytelling and science, this series uses genealogy, oral histories, family stories and DNA to trace roots of several accomplished African Americans down through American history and back to Africa .AFR Videodisc 130
African
Art and Culture. Chicago, IL: Clearvue/eav, 1993. (53 min.)
Uses examples of African art including sculpture and masks to introduce
the viewer to the ancient cultures of Africa. AFR Video 113
African
Art and Women Artists. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities and
Sciences, 1992. (17 min.)
Elizabeth C. Orchardson-Mazrui, weaver and painter, discusses her work
and the role that women artists have in the contemporary African art
scene. AFR Video 36
African Art: It’s Cultural Meaning. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2004. Videodisc (22 min.)
This illuminating program examines the symbolism, aesthetics, and functionality of African art through the vast region’s sculpture, masks, architecture, ornaments, clothing, and utensils. Participants: Narrator, Sidney Nolan. AFR Videodisc 278
African Burial Ground: An American Discovery. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Kutz Television; Springfield, VA: Distributed by National Audiovisual Center, National Technical Information Service, Dept. of Commerce, 1994. 1 videocassette (119 min.)
Explores 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. AFR Video 662
African
Jim. Vancouver, BC: Villon Films, [199-?] . 1 videocassette (58
min.).
Jim leaves rural South Africa to find work in Johannesburg and ends
up finding romance and a successful career. AFR Video 524
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 1, The Nature of a Continent. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986. Narrated by Ali Mazrui. 1 video
cassette (60 min.)
Examines Africa as the birthplace of humankind and discusses the impact
of geography on African history, including the role of the Nile in the
origin of civilization and the introduction of Islam to Africa through
its Arabic borders. AFR Video 18 / Videodisc 363 disc 1
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 2,
A Legacy of Lifestyles. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986.
Narrated by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Shows how contemporary African lifestyles are influenced by indigenous,
Islamic, and Western factors. Compares simple African societies with
those that are more complex and centralized, and examines the importance
of family life. AFR Video 19
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 3,
New Gods. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986. Narrated
by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Examines the factors that influence religion in Africa, with particular
emphasis on how traditional African religions, Islam, and Christianity
coexist and influence each other. The extent to which Christianity and
Islam are becoming Africanized is also discussed.
AFR Video 20
The Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 4,
Tools of Exploitation. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986.
Narrated by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
The impact of the West on Africa and the impact of Africa on the development
of the West are contrasted with an emphasis on the manner in which Africa's
human and natural resources have been exploited before, during, and
after the colonial period. AFR Video 21
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 5,
New Conflicts. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986. Narrated
by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Explores the tensions inherent in the juxtaposition of three African
heritages, looking at the ways in which these conflicts have contributed
to the rise of the nationalist movement, the warrior tradition of indigenous
Africa, the jihad tradition of Islam, and modern guerrilla warfare. AFR Video 22
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 6,
In Search of Stability. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986.
Narrated by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Gives an overview of the several means of governing in Africa. Examines
new social orders to illustrate an Africa in search of a viable form
of government in the postindependence period. AFR Video 23
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 7,
A Garden of Eden in Decay. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation,
1986. Narrated by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Identifies the problems of a continent that produces what it does not
consume and consumes what it does not produce. Shows Africa's struggle
between economic dependence and decay. AFR Video 24
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 8,
A Clash of Cultures. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986.
Narrated by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Discusses the conflicts and compromises which emerge from the coexistence
of many African traditions and modern life. Explores the question of
whether Africa can synthesize its own heritage with the legacies of
Islam and the West. AFR Video 25
The
Africans, A Triple Heritage. Program 9,
Global Africa. Santa Barbara, CA: Intellimation, 1986. Narrated
by Ali Mazrui. 1 video cassette (60 min.)
Discusses African contributions to contemporary culture, including the
significance of the African diaspora, particularly in North America.
Also examines the continuing influence of the superpowers on the affairs
of Africa. AFR Video 26
Africans
in America: America's Journey through Slavery. Alexandria,
VA: PBS Video distributor, 1998. 4 videocassettes (360 min.) + 1 teacher's
guide (32 p.: ill.; 28 cm.)
Considers the contradictions that lie at the heart of the founding of
the American nation. The infant democracy pronounced all men to be created
equal while enslaving one race to benefit another. Portrays the struggles
of the African people in America, from their arrival in the 1600s to
the last days before the Civil War. AFR Video 369
Africans in America: The Unfolding of Ethnic Identity. Princeton NJ: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 2004. 1 videodisc (31 min.)
Africans who have immigrated from Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda talk about their beliefs, experiences, and living in America. AFR Videodisc 270
Africa's
Enduring Arts--Now and Then. Morris Plains, NJ: Lucerne Media, 1993.
1 video cassette (16 min.)
Offers an overview of African art focusing primarily on sculpture and
masks, including those of religious significance. AFR Video 252
Afrique,
Je te Plumerai: un Film = Africa, I'm Going to Fleece You. San Francisco,
CA: California Newsreel, 1992. 1 video cassette (88 min.)
Examines how Cameroon's French colonizers have been replaced by a dictatorial
indigenous regime which still plunders the land and silences the authentic
expression of its people.
AFR Video 74
Afro-Punk a James Spooner picture. New York, NY: Third World Newsreel, 2003. 1 videocassette (67 min.) Afro-Punk explores race identity within the punk rock scene. The film addresses issues of loneliness, exile, inter-racial dating and Black power. The film follows the lives of four African Americans who have dedicated themselves to the punk rock lifestyle. They find themselves in conflicting situations, living the dual life of a Black person in a mostly White community. Afro-Punk features excerpts of performances by Bad Brains, Tamar Kali, Cipher, and Ten Grand. The film also contains exclusive interviews by members of Fishbone, 247- spyz, Dead Kennedys, Candiria, Orange 9mm and TV on the Radio, and others. --http://www.twn.org AFR Video 655
Against
the Odds: The Artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Alexandria, VA:
PBS Video, 1993. 1 video cassette (57 min.)
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. AFR Video 89
Aime
Cesaire: A voice for History = Une Voix pour L'histoire. San Francisco,
CA: California Newsreel, 1994. 3 videocassettes (54, 56, 50 mins.)
CONTENTS: Part 1. The vigilant island = L'ile veilleuse -- part 2. Where
the edges of conquest meet = Au rendez-vous de la conquete -- part 3.
The strength to face tomorrow = La force de regarder demain. AFR Video 312
Akeelah and the Bee. Santa Monica, CA: Lions Gate Home Entertainment, 2006. 1 videodisc (ca. 112 min.)
Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson’s life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She is a smart girl, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school’s principal, Akeelah decides to participate in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from Dr. Larabee, an English professor, for the more prestigious regional bee. As the possibility of making it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee looms, Akeelah could provide her community with someone to rally around and be proud of. First Akeelah have to overcome her insecurities, her distracting home life, and the knowledge that there is a field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers. AFR Videodisc 249
Alberta
Hunter: My Castle's Rockin'. Produced and directed by Stuart
Goldman; writen by Chris Albertson. New York, NY: V.I.E.W. Video, Inc.
1991. 1 videocassette (59 min.)
Traces the long and colorful life of the legendary blues singer and
jazz vocalist Alberta Hunter, who began singing in Chicago in 1912 as
a teenager and enjoyed a forty-year career. Tells how she then disappeared
from public life and staged a comeback at the age of eighty-two. AFR
Video 378
Alex
Haley: A Conversation with Alex Haley. San Francisco, CA: California
Newsreel, 1992. 1 videocassette (43 min.)
Alex Haley recounts the transformation of a college drop-out into one
of America's most powerful non-fiction writers. AFR Video 139
Algeria:
Women at War. New York, NY: Women Make Movies, 1992. 1 videocassette
(52 min.)
A documentary on the situation of women in Algeria today. Some "Mudjahadines",
the women fighters during the war of Independence from the French (1954-1962),
recall their own experiences: their hopes and their disillusion after
the war, when the Government refused to recognize their role and contribution
to the National Liberation Movement. A new generation of women tries
to find a path between modern democracy and the fundamentalism of the
Islamic faith. AFR Video 449
Ali Rap. Santa Monica, CA: Genius Entertainment, 2006. 1 videodisc (44 min.)
The life of Muhammad Ali is explored through the unpredictable raps and rhymes he spouted throughout his career. AFR Videodisc 258
Alice
Walker and The Color Purple. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities
& Sciences, 1998. 1 videocassette (62 min.)
A filmed interview in which the author's comments and recitations are
juxtaposed with dramatic interpretations of her novel and clips from
the film adaptation. Director Steven Spielberg is also interviewed. AFR Video 458
Alice
Walker: Conversation with Alice Walker. San Francisco, CA: California
Newsreel, 1992. 1 videocassette (30 min.)
Alice Walker shares with us her remarkable spiritual journey from a
sharecropping childhood in rural Georgia to the peace and creativity
of her present retreat in Northern California. She reads from her poetry
and discusses contemporary America with an anger and urgency rooted
in an abiding optimism. AFR Video 154
All
Power to The People!: The Black Panther Party & Beyond. Los Angeles, CA: Electronic News Group, 1996. 1 videocassette (155 min.)
Government documents, rare news clips, interviews with ex-activists
and FBI/CIA agents define the bloody conflict between political dissent
and repressive government authority in the U.S. during the period of
the 60s and the 70s. AFR Video 337
All The World's A Stage. Written and directed by Vaun Monroe.2006. 1 videodisc (54 min.)
When Black actor Vanessa Armstrong takes a job as an assistant professor in a sleepy New England college, she’s ordered to direct Othello for purposes of diversifying the curriculum and must grapple with both the daily complications of the production and the deeper question of teaching creativity in a bureaucratic institution. Vanessa finds herself torn between her role as creative artist and college professor. AFR Videodisc 169
Allah
Tantou = A la Grace de Dieu. San Francisco, CA: California Newsreel,
1991. 1 videocassette (62 min.)
Using home movies and letters, as well as newsreels and dramatization,
recalls the life of Guinean politician Marof Achkar, which closely parallels
the rise and fall of Africa's own hopes for independence. AFR
Video 75
Amazing Grace. Santa Monica. CA: MGM Home Entertainment, 2001. 1 videodisc (97 min.)
A Black pious church-going widow and grandmother (Moms Mabley) takes over the political campaign of a neighbor running for mayor of Baltimore, transforming him from a white man’s pawn into a serious challenger of Baltimore’s blue-blood establishment. AFR Videodisc 188
American Blackout. New York: Disinformation Co., 2006. 1 videodisc (86 min.)
Critically examines the contemporary tactics used to control our democratic process and silence voices of political dissent. Chronicles the recurring patterns of voter disenfranchisement from Florida 2000 to Ohio 2004 while following the story of Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. AFR Videodisc 259
American Legacy Video Collection. Vol. 1. Petersburg, Va.: New Millennium Studios, 2003. 1 videocassette (70 min.). Four mini-documentaries about African American history. Looks at an African American supply unit in World War II; Valaida Snow, a black female jazz trumpeter who was imprisoned by the Nazis in 1941; the infamous 1921 attack by white mobs on the black community of Greenwood, Oklahoma; and the inspirational song, Lift ev'ry voice and sing. Includes host commentary. AFR Video 608
America
Beyond the Color Line. Alexandria, Va.: PBS Home Video, 2003.
1 videodisc (220 min.)
Henry Louis Gates travels to the east coast, the deep South, inner city
Chicago, and Hollywood to investigate modern black America and interview
influential Americans including Colin Powell, Quincy Jones, Samuel L.
Jackson, Alicia Keys, Maya Angelou, Willie Herenton and others. AFR
Videodisc 21
America
in Black and White. ABC News, 1996. 5 videocassettes (133 min.).
Ted Koppel hosts a five-day series of broadcasts dealing with issues
of racism. Topics include: attitudes and beliefs of white residents
of Bridesberg (a Philadelphia neighborhood) that fueled attempts to
keep Bridget Ward, a black single mother, from settling in their neighborhood;
the amounts of money whites feel would be adequate compensation if they
were black; the discrimination experienced in childhood by Greg Williams,
a man who looks white but is of mixed ancestry; the linking of the accidental
traffic death of Cynthia Williams, a 17-year old black single mother,
to the de facto discrimination against blacks through the planning of
public transportation routes in Buffalo, New York; arguments given by
Jane Elliot and Bob Woodson as to whether blacks' anger against whites
can be defined as black racism; and opinions regarding racism and discrimination
as expressed by a panel of black professionals and a panel of nonblack
professionals. AFR Video 602
Amiri
Baraka. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities & Sciences,
1999. 1 videocassette (27 min.)
Artist/activist Amiri Baraka has managed to alter not merely the face
of African-American writing, but its very sound and substance as well.
Among the first to promote Africanized English, he also introduced an
element of jazz into poetry. In this program, Bill Moyers and Mr. Baraka
discuss topics centering on the black experience in America. AFR
Video 488
The Amos’n Andy Show. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Education 2000, ind., 2005. 9 videodiscs (1320 minutes)
Chronicles the comic adventures of Amos Jones and Andrew H. Brown, two Harlem black men trying to make it in Harlem. Their lives are complicated by the schemes of the Kingfish. Participants, Alvin Childress (Amos); Spencer Williams, Jr. (Andy); Tim Moore (Kingfish); Ernestine Wade (Sapphire);Amanda Randolph (Mama); Johnny Lee (Calhoun). AFR Videodisc 194
The
Ancient Africans. New York: International Film Foundation, 1991.
1 videocassette (27 min.)
Animated drawings, maps, and pictures of art objects from six museums
are intercut with location photography of the Kush and Axum areas to
show life today in the ancient Sudanic kingdoms and in Benin. Includes
scenes of the stone walls of Zimbabwe. AFR Video 12
Ancient
Mysteries: Voodoo! New York, NY: A&E Home Video: Distributed
by New Video Group, 1996. 1 videocassette (50 min.)
Explores the history of voodoo from its roots in West Africa to its
position today in the Caribbean and the United States. Examines the
religion's beliefs, deities, and customs and includes footage of ceremonies
and interviews with practitioners. AFR Video 272
The Andalusian Epic: A
la rencontre de l'autre. 1, L'épopée andalouse= Encountering others. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities
& Sciences, 2001. 1 videocassette (27 min.)
This program addresses the expansion of the Arab empire into Spain,
where Muslims ruled with tolerance for more than seven centuries. The
introduction and consolidation of Islamic power in Spain, the creation
of the Umayyad emirate by the sole survivor of the Umayyad dynasty,
the rise of Cordoba as a cultural rival of Abbasid Baghdad, and the
gradual ebb of Arab rule on the Iberian Peninsula are all discussed.
Special attention is given to the prosperous reign of Abdel Rahman III
and the flowering of a Muslim culture that respectfully welcomed the
contributions of Christians and Jews alike. AFR Video 478
Andrew
Young: former executive director, Southern Christian Leadership Conference
and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Denver, Colo.: Veterans
of Hope Project, 2000. 1 videocassette (34 min.)
Interview with Andrew Young, detailing the stuggles of the civil rights
movement and the ways in which his faith has inspired him in his quest
for social justice. AFR Video 560
Angano-Angano:
Nouvelles de Madagascar. San Francisco, CA: California Newsreel,
1989-1992. 1 videocassette (64 min.)
Contemporary storytellers recount for the camera and their listeners
the founding myths of Malagasy culture--the creation of man and woman,
the origin of rice cultivation, and the reason for animal sacrifice. AFR Video 54
Another
Brother: A Documentary. New York, NY: Third World Newsreel, 1998.
1 videocassette (50 min.)
Tells the story of Vietnam veteran Clarence Fitch. Clarence Fitch was
a man of and for his times, an African American who witnessed and took
part in events of this country from the turmoil of the sixties through
the present decade. Telling a story fraught with both heroism and tragedy,
the film uses Clarence's life as a jumping off point to explore a remarkable
range of issues -- racism, the Black civil rights movement, the Vietnam
War and its aftermath, the scourge of drugs, and finally the AIDS crisis. AFR Video 534
Antwone Fisher. United States: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, c2003. 1 videodisc (120 min.)
Guided by a determined Navy psychiatrist, a troubled sailor embarks on a personal, emotionally inspiring journey to confront his past and connect with the family he never knew. Inspired by the true-life experiences of Antwone Fisher. Videodisc 57
The
Arab World. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities & Sciences,
1997. 5 videocassettes (30 min. each)
Bill Moyers discusses the Arab world with leading writers and thinkers
on Arab culture and history. The particpants discuss the stereotypes
which distort our view of the Arab world and its peoples, examine the
role of religions in Arab society, survey Arab artistic and literary
achievments, look at the historical forces that have shaped the modern
Arab world, and examine the long history of Western involvement in the
region. AFR Video 481
Archbishop
Desmond Tutu with Bill Moyers. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the
Humanities & Sciences, c1999. 1 videocassette (57 min.)
Bill Moyers discusses with Archbishop Desmond Tutu the latter's life
and work, in particular the Archbishop's struggle against apartheid.
AFR Video 489
Arlit Deuxieme Paris. San Francisco, CA: California Newsreel, 2005. 1 videodisc (78 min.)
Arlit, Deuxieme Paris is a case study in migration and environmental racism set in a uranium mining town in the Sahara desert of Niger. Here European corporations extracted nuclear power and profits, leaving behind illness due to radiation, contamination and unemployment. Arlit flourished during the oil crunch of the early 70s when its uranium mines employed 25,000 workers from around the world in high paying jobs. AFR Videodisc 267
The Art of Romare Bearden: Washington, DC: The Gallery, 2003. 1 videodisc (30 min) Romare Bearden's art captures the diversity and richness of his life. With roots in North Carolina, Bearden migrated North at an early age, living in industrial Pittsburgh, vibrant Harlem, and, later in his life, on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. These four locales and his memories of their people, music, colors, and stories form the basis of Bearden's collages and paintings, whose style exhibits a unique blend of cultural influences from Harlem, Europe, and Africa. This film traces Bearden's entire career, including his paintings and watercolors of the 1940s, experimental collages of 1964, mature collages of the next two decades, large-scale public murals, and late landscapes. The documentary also features commentary by art historians, artists, and others who knew Bearden, including Wynton Marsalis, Albert Murray, and Emma Amos. AFR Videodisc 15
The
Art of the Dogon. Chicago, IL: Home Vision, 1988. 1 videocassette
(24 min.)
The Dogon people of Mali possess one of the richest art traditions in
West Africa. For centuries, the Dogon have created powerful sculpture
to use in various rituals and in their daily life. AFR Video
227
Asfar al-sath Halfaouine = Child of the Terraces. New York, NY: Kino International, 1997. In this coming-of-age film Noura, an inquisitive thirteen-year-old Arab boy, begins to experience his own sexual desires when he visits the local Turkish bathhouse with his mother. But just as Noura is awakened to the pleasures of the opposite sex, he risks being wrestled from their tender, affectionate companionship and thrust into the callous and rigid company of men. AFR Video 492
The
Ashanti Kingdom. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities & Sciences,
1992. 1 videocassette (14 min.)
This program shows the Ashanti kingdom; it explains the strict hierarchical
organization of the village, the importance of the characteristic kente
garment, the naming of children, the Ashanti religious beliefs, the
importance of traditional values and traditional festivals, and the
protocol surrounding the paramount chief of the Ashanti. AFR
Video 110
Ashes
and Embers. Washington, DC: Mypheduh Films, 1982. 120 min.
The story of a Vietnam veteran who, nearly a decade later, begins to
come to terms with his role in the war and his role as a black person
in America. His transformation from an embittered ex-soldier to a strong
and confident man is provoked and encouraged by the love and chastisement
of his grandmother and friends. AFR Video 101
Assata
a Special: 1 hr. 59 min. interview for Manhattan Neighborhood Network.
New York: People's Video Network, 1998. 1 videocassette (119 min.)
A conversation with youth in Havana at the World Youth Festival. Introduced
by Rev. Lucius Walker...and remarks by Monifa Akinwole, Malcolm X Grassroots
Movement, Father Lawrence Lucas and Eddie [E]lis at the WBAI forum on
Assata. AFR Video 495
At the
River I Stand. San Francisco, CA: California Newsreel, 1993. 1 videocassette
(59 min.)
Documentary examines two events in 1968: sanitation workers strike in
Memphis, Tennessee, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Shows how the Black community and local civil rights leadership
mobilized behind the strikers in mass demonstrations and a boycott of
downtown businesses and AFSCME support of the strikers. Includes archival
film footage. AFR Video 193
August
Wilson. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities, 1994 1 videocassette
(30 min.)
Bill Moyers interviews playwright August Wilson on the importance of
the blues in Wilson's life and his writing. Also talks about finding
an African-American cultural identity and what Wilson sees as the false
portrayal of black Americans on television. AFR Video 500
August
Wilson. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities and Sciences,
1999. 1 videocassette (52 min.)
Interview with August Wilson, and excerpts from his plays. AFR
Video 459
August
Wilson: Conversation with August Wilson. San Francisco, CA: California
Newsreel, 1992. 1 videocassette (21 min., 25 sec.)
Playwright August Wilson talks about his roots in the black community,
how his plays express the African American experience, how the African
heritage of Black Americans is both expressed and repressed in American
society today, and the importance of the blues as cultural expression.
AFR Video 162
- Authority
and Change. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities &
Sciences, 1994. 1 videocassette (appr. 30 min)
What is a fatwa? Who is qualified to issue one? What is the role of traditional scholars in the Muslim world today? Sheikh Syed Tautavi, Mufti of Egypt, explores these and other vital questions that underlie current developments in Egypt and elsewhere in the Islamic world.AFR Video 470
The
Autobiography of Malcolm X. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the
Humanities & Sciences, 2001. 1 videocassette (53 min.)
Focuses on the impact the book The Autobiography of Malcolm X had on
race relations in America. Also scrutinizes the life of Malcolm X himself.
Features dramatizations and interviews with Malcolm X's family and friends,
as well as scholars and authors. AFR Video 454
