Media Collection Guide / George Mason University Libraries
AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES: History
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. Because 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. Features archival film footage, home photographs, comments by surviving family members, and interviews with local and national figures of the time.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
F334.B69 N439 2000

Abraham and Mary Lincoln a house divided.
A six part program which examines the Lincolns' family life and marriage, Abraham Lincoln's presidency, and the Civil War era.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
E457.25 .A37 2001b

The African American experience.
This CD-rom covers African American history and culture.
Johnson Center - Multimedia
Call Number: E185 .A253 1994
African-American history.
This CD-rom provides an overview of American history from an African American perspective and include narrated text sections on Supreme Court cases, the quest for freedom, and Black voices.
Johnson Center - Multimedia
Call Number: E185 .A47 1994

Always for pleasure.
Part 1 captures the music, food, and street celebrations that typify New Orleans. Part 2 focuses on the annual revival of Black Indian social and cultural traditions, featuring the Wild Tchoupitoulas and other Black Indian tribes as they prepare for and celebrate Mardi Gras.
Johnson Center - Videotapes

American roots music.
Features historic and documentary footage of 20th century pioneering artists. Includes blues, country, gospel, folk, Cajun, sydeco,bluegrass, tejano and Native American music.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
ML3551 .A54 2001

Africans in America America's journey through slavery.
Considers the contradictions that lay 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.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E441 .A37 1998

American pimp.
Albert and Allen Hughes turn their documentary eye to the world of street pimps in this 1999 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Competition entry. The Black urban pimps interviewed reveal their world and their secrets in a film that is about power. We watch as they discuss their business, including percentages, lifestyles, stealing "ho's", and the Player's Ball. These men exude charm and charisma and boast rock star status in their communities. People are lured by the glamour and money, only to be used as commoditieis and tossed out once they have passed their prime. Also traces the history of the street pimp from the 20's to the present, with particular emphasis on the 70's pimp.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
PN1997 .A5476 2000

American story: The Brooks family.
The African American story is told through an overview of the history of blacks in the United States and the experiences of the Brooks family.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E185 .A6

Amistad.
Chronicles the 1839 revolt on board a slave ship bound for America. Much of the story involves the court-room drama about the slave who led the revolt.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
PN1997 .A5481 1999

And still I rise.
Prominent black women comment on the history and experiences of the Afro-American slave woman in white European society. Includes interviews with Caron Wheeler (singer), Buchi Emecheta (novelist), Stella Dadzie (writer) along with many others.
Johnson Center Videotapes
HQ1587 .A524 1993

The Anderson platoon.
Follows the "Anderson Platoon," a racially integrated combat unit, for six weeks during the Vietnam War, as the soldiers eat, sleep, fight, gamble, pray and die together.
Johnson Center Videotapes
DS558.4 .A64

Birth of a nation.
This epic story of the Civil War as seen through the lives of two families is a controversial classic of film history.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
PN1997 .B57 1998

Black American history.
1 computer laser optical disk : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. +
Offers a vast wealth of visual material and narration. Includes teacher's guide, transcripts, and answer key in the "Class Manager" section.
Johnson Center - Multimedia
Call Number: E185 .B52 1994

Black Americans and the military.
The black experience in the military from 1776 to late 1980's.
Johnson Center Videotapes
UB418.A47 B63 1989

Black Americans of achievement series 1 and 2.
This series documents the achievements of African Americans in a variety of areas. Each volume focuses on the activity of an individual. Persons covered include Booker T. Washington, Colin Powell, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman,and many others. Johnson Center Videotapes
ON ORDER; CHECK CATALOG FOR CALL NUMBER

Black Georgetown remembered.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: F202.G3 L472 1989

The Black press soldiers without swords.
Presents a history of African-American newspapers and journalism from the mid-19th century through the 20th century. Tells of the struggles against censorship and discrimination and for freedom of the press, with commentary by historians, journalists, and photojournalists.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
PN4882.5 .B532 1998

Black sugar slavery from the African perspective.
In a narrative style, an African old man tells his grandson how his fellow men and women were seized, uprooted from native soils, and sold to the United States.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E441 .B62 1993

Buffalo soldiers.
A photographic history of the two black cavalry regiments that served to keep peace on the frontier from 1867 to 1891. Also shown is the dedication ceremony at Fort Leavenworth of a monument to the Buffalo soldiers by sculptor Eddie Dixon, with speeches by Gen. Colin Powell and other high ranking black officers of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: U31 9th .B9

Bush mama.
Focuses on the ghetto life of Dorothy, a woman living on welfare in Watts and her experiences with police violence, welfare offices, unemployment lines, decaying tenements, and social workers.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
PN1997 .B89

City within a city.
Compares the development of New York City's Harlem to the emergence of a Black community in Atlanta. Depicts the transformation of Harlem from a rustic white suburb into America's major Black ghetto and shows how Black Atlanta grew from economic deprivation and political disinfranchisement into a stable and politically potent community. Hosted by John Lindsay.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
F128.68.H3 C5

Civil War films of the silent era.
These silent films originally produced between 1913 and 1915 feature plots centered on the Civil War and include one feature film and two nickelodeon films by pioneering producer Thomas H. Ince.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
PN1995.75 .C58 2000

Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill Public hearing, private pain.
Discusses the Thomas confirmation hearings, the charges of sexual harrassment by Anita Hill, and the reactions from Afro-Americans.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
KF8745.T48 C52 1992

Classified X.
Examines the treatment of black characters throughout the history of American cinema, using examples from classic films beginning with footage by Thomas Edison in 1903 to the present, tracing how Hollywood has aided and abetted the public perception of the African-American. From its earliest days, Hollywood reflected society's fear of blacks and countered with wish-fulfilling images of African-Americans as servile, ignorant, superstitious, or untrustworthy.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
PN1995.9.N4 C63 1998

The Deadly deception.
This program investigates the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. African American men in Macon County, Ala. believed they were receiving free treatment for syphilis; they were, instead, given medicines that were worthless against the disease. The experiment continued from 1932 until 1972 and was periodically written up in mainstream medical journals. The program outlines the history of the study, offers testimony from survivors and from doctors who administered it, and looks at what many consider the perversion of medical ethics and the doctor/patient relationship involved in carrying out such an experiment.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
R853.H8 D43 1993

Democracy in a different voice with Lani Guinier.
An illustrated lecture in 6 parts: 1. Silenced ; 2. The tyranny of the majority ; 3. Taking turns ; 4. Districts of the mind ; 5. Democracy in a different voice ; 6. Speaking out.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
JF1075.U6 D36

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 film footage and photographs.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E185.97 .K5 D75 1993

El Hajj Malik el Shabazz (Malcolm X).
A documentary showing the life of Malcolm X, his leadership in the Black Muslim movement, and his influence on black Americans and African nations.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
BP223.L57 H3

Eyes on the prize America at the racial crossroads.
Eight one hour episodes on the history of the civil rights movement in the United States from 1964 to mid 1980's.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: E185.615 .E91

Eyes on the prize America's civil rights years.
Seven two hour episodes on the history of the civil rights movement in the United States from 1954 to mid 1980's. Uses archival footage and interviews with participants in the movement.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: E185.61 .E94 1995
FBI's war on Black America.
Using interviews with survivors of the era and historic footage looks the FBI's Cointelpro program of the 1960"s which had as its goal the control/sabotage/elimination of segments of the Black leadership and militant organizations. Focuses on persons including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Fred Hampton in whose murders the FBI may have had a hand and George Pratt who they helped frame for murder.
Johnson Center Videotapes
HV8138 .F35 1990

Frederick Douglass.
Archival materials and Douglass' autobiographical writings are used to present the story of his life.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: E449.D75 F76

Freedom bags.
Freedom bags is the story of African-American women who migrated from the rural south during the first 3 decades of the 20th century. Hoping to escape from the racism and poverty of the post-Civil War South, they boarded segregated trains for an uncertain future up Northing.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E185.96 .F74

Glory.
Two idealistic young Bostonians lead the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, America's first Black regiment in the Civil War. Stars Academy Award winner Denzel Washington.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
PN1997 .G5383 2000

Goin' to Chicago.
A group of longtime Chicago residents returns to Greenville, Mississippi for a reunion with family and friends. Participants talk about their lives and their reasons for moving north. Includes historical footage of Mississippi and Chicago.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E185.6 .G55 1994

I have a dream.
Martin Luther King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E185.97.K5 A5 1988

I remember Harlem.
Traces the rise, decline, and regeneration of America's largest Black community over three centuries.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: F128.68.H3 I2

John Brown's holy war.
A look inside a complex man, farmer and warrior, family man and avenging angel, to reveal the man behind the legend. He is the father of American terrorism-- and an inspiration to the Civil Rights movement. More than 150 years after his execution, questions swirl around John Brown: was he a madman or a martyr? A bloodthirsty fanatic or a great American hero? Draws on interviews with historians and writers, including novelist Russell Banks, and stunning dramatic reenactments to trace one man's obsessive battle against human bondage.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
E451 .J64 2000

The Klan a legacy of hate in America.
Traces the beginnings of the Klan after the Civil War to its growth in the 1920s and resurgence in the 1960s. Describes the organization's activities against Afro-Americans, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
HS2330.K63 K63

Kings on the hill.
Chronicles the history of the Negro baseball leagues.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: GV875 .N3 K55 1993

The language you cry in [the story of a Mende song.
The film tells an amazing scholarly detective story reaching across hundreds of years and thousands of miles from 18th century Sierra Leone to the Gullah people of present-day Georgia. It recounts the even more remarkabel saga of how African Americans has retained links with their African past through the horrors of the middle passage, slavery and segregation. The film dramatically demonstrates the contribution of contemporary scholarship to restoring what narrator Vertamae Grosvenor calls the "non-history imposed on African Americans:"This is a story of memory, how the memory of a family was pieced together through a song with legendary powers to connect those who sany it with their roots."
Johnson Center - Videotapes
DT14 .L25 1999

Legacy of a dream.
Presents a compilation of newsreel and videotape footage showing the events that secured the vote for American Blacks and ultimately led to the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Includes a sketch of King's career and statements by Coretta King and Andrew Young.
Johnson Center Videotapes
E185.97.K5 L43 1990

Lewis & Clark the journey of the Corps of Discovery.
Tells the story of the most important expedition in American history, led by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Includes the stories of the young army men, French-Canadian boatmen, Clark's African-American slave, and the Shoshone woman named Sacagawea who went with them.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
F592.7 .L48 2001

Life and legend of Sojourner Truth.
Based on: Narrative of Sojourner Truth, a northern slave; reflections of those who knew her, including Frederick Douglas, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Abraham Lincoln. 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. Includes interviews with authorities on the subject's life: Calton Mabee, Nell Painter, Roseann Mandzink, Gerald Sorin and Paul Gaffney. Accompanied by archival footage, photographs and period music.
Johnson Center Videotapes
E185.97.T8 L54 2001

Long night's journey into day.
For over forty years, South Africa was governed by the most notorious form of racial domination since Nazi Germany. When it finally collapsed, those who had enforced apartheid's rule wanted amnesty for their crimes. Their victims wanted justice. As a compromise, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed. As it investigated the crimes of apartheid, the Commission brought together victims and perpetrators to relive South Africa's brutal history. By revealing the past instead of burying it, the TRC hoped to pave the way to a peaceful future.
Johnson Center Videotapes
DT1757 .L66 2000

Long road to freedom : an anthology of Black music.
Five compact discs and 1 dvd chronicle the struggle and achievements of African American musicians.
Johnson Center Permanent Media Reserve--at Circulation Desk
M1670 .L66 2001

Malcolm X, make it plain.
Originally produced as a segment of the television program: The American experience. A film biography of the Black Muslim leader Malcolm X. Uses interviews, archival footage, photographs, and an original score to tell his story.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
BP223.Z8 L5776

Martin Luther King commemorative collection.
Presents 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.
Johnson Center Videotapes
E185.97.K5 M33 1988

The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry.
The story of the first officially sanctioned regiment of northern
Black soldiers formed in Boston during the Civil War.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: E513.5 54th .M388 1991

Miles of smiles.
Personal narratives of the retired porters about their work and duties on the Pullman trains and the formation of their union.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: HD6515.P659 M454 1983

The Morehouse men.
Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia is the only African--American men's college in the United States. For 128 years, Morehouse has educated the black elite, and boasts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Spike Lee as graduates. This film follows a group of freshmen students and explores the formal and informal processes whereby boys are molded into "Morehouse Men".
Johnson Center - Videotapes
LC2851.M72 M67 1995

Nightfighters.
The 332nd Fighter group has a unique place in the annals of WWII air force fighter groups. The group was completely Black. It confounded the expectations and prejudices held by white Americans in the 1930's and 1940's. The group excelled as pilots and became a crack unit, accomplishing goals others couldn't. Included are interviews with Alfred Anderson, Lee Archer, and Roscoe Brown.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
D810.N4 N55

Only the ball was white.
Pays tribute to the many top-flight baseball players from the Negro Leagues. Documents a bygone bittersweet era in baseball and the men who were denied stardom by the color line.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: GV863 .A1 O55

Remember the Titans.
A drama of forced high school integration in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971. After leading his team to fifteen winning seasons, white football coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by African-American Herman Boone, tough, opinionated and as different from Yoast as could be. The two men overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions. A rousing celebration of how a town torn apart by resentment, friction and mistrust comes together in triumphant harmony.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
PN1997 .R364 2001

The Road to Brown.
Presents the role of Charles Hamilton Houston in the cases which let to the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown vs. Board of Education. Gives background history of segregation, Jim Crow laws, NAACP and bio-data on persons influential in the desegregation movement.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: KF4155 .R614 1989

Singing stream.
Traces the history of the Landis family of Granville County, N.C. Includes interviews and stories, scenes of daily life, reunions, gospel concerts, and church services involving this musically gifted Black family from the rural South. Musical performances in the film span almost a century of Black religious song styles, from shape-note singing to contemporary gospel.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: E185.93.N6 S56

Slavery in colonial Virginia and the Chesapeake.
"This program follows every aspect in the development of slavery on the tobacco plantations and in the towns of Virginia and the Chesapeake."
Johnson Center Videotapes
E445.V8 S53 1999

Small steps, big strides.
This tribute celebrates African American silver screen legends. Included are interviews and rare footage documenting the kinds of roles black actors were first given, the challenges these performers met, and the real behind-the-scenes story of their acceptance and triumphs in Hollywood.
Johnson Center Videotapes
ON ORDER; CHECK CATALOG FOR CALL NUMBER

Solomon Northup's odyssey.
Based on the true story of Solomon Northrup, a free black man from New York who was kidnapped in 1841 and forced into slavery in Louisiana.
Johnson Center Videotapes
PN1997 .S652 1996

Songmakers collection.
In an office building a few blocks from Times Square, a group of talented teens rewrote the soundtrack to the American experience. The string of chart-topping melodies they penned earned the Brill Building the nickname "The Hit Factory." Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick and Bobby Darin are among the legends who passed through its doors. "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling," "Up on a Roof," and "Hound Dog" are just a few of the hits that came pouring out. This unprecedented look at "Teen Pan Alley" includes in-depth portraits of some of the biggest names in the business, along with a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the heady days when the Brill Building was the center of the pop universe. A treasure trove of unforgettable songs, rare photos and interviews with everyone from Carole King to Phil Ramone makes this the definitive story of a musical revolution.
Johnson Center DVD -- at Circulation Desk
ML3477.8.N6 S65 2001

The songs are free.
Traces the history of communal singing and the repertoire rooted in the Black church -- from songs of resistance, courage, and pride to songs of determination and faith -- and explores their roles from the Underground Railroad through the Civil Rights movement and into the 90's.
Johnson Center Videotapes
ML3556 .S66 1997

Speeches of Malcolm X.
Presents a collection of Malcolm X's speeches, showing the evolution of his ideas and attitudes.
Johnson Center Videotapes
BP223.Z8 L578 1997

Speeches of Nelson Mandela.
The speeches of Nelson Mandela offers a demonstration of his oratory prowess, from his long fight against apartheid, to his triumphant release from prison and ensuing political career.
Johnson Center Videotapes
DT1974 .S64 1995

Speeches of the Civil War.
Johnson Center Videotapes
E647 .S64 1997

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.
Johnson Center Videotapes
E185.615 .S834 2000

The tear on the face of America.
Tony Brown comments on the significance of the Fourth of July to Afro-Americans, particularly that of 1986, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. He reviews the history of blacks in this country in contrast to other colonists and immigrants along with dramatized selections from Frederick Doulass' famous speech on the Fourth of July, delivered July 5, 1852.
Johnson Center - Videotapes
Call Number: E185.61 .T417

That's Black entertainment.
Vol. 1 covers the history of Black filmmaking from its earliest days through the twenties, focusing on the movies that were made and the production companies that produced them and includes three short films. Vol. 2 compiles a vintage video collection of three-minute music videos called "soundies" that were originally screened on a visual jukebox called Panorams during the 1940s.
Johnson Center Videotapes
PN1995.9.N4 T4 1997

The trans-Atlantic slave trade a database on CD-ROM.
Contains records of 27,233 trans-Atlantic slave ship voyages made between 1595 and 1866. Format allows users to track information by time period and geographic region, and includes interactive maps that allow viewers to chart the trans-Atlantic connections. The accompanying data contains materials about people on board, owners and captains, ships' characteristics, and the geographic trajectory of each voyage.
Johnson Center Multimedia (non-circulating)
HT1322 .T74 1999

Two Marys two views of slavery.
Dramatized excerpts from the diaries of Mary Prince, born into slavery in Bermuda in 1789, and Lady Maria Nugent, slaveowner in Jamaica, providing first-hand accounts by British women of their experiences of slavery.
Johnson Center Videotapes
HT1091 .T96 1997

Underground Railroad.
Johnson Center Videotapes
ON ORDER; CHECK CATALOG FOR CALL NUMBER

Up south African-American migration in the era of the great war.
Between 1916 and 1921, 500,000 African-Americans moved from the south to cities in the North. Mississipians chose Chicago as their destination in the great migration. This is their story.
Johnson Center Videotapes
E337.5 .U6 1996

Within our gates.
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.
Johnson Center Videotapes
PN1997 .W5695 1996

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Developed and maintained by Thomas Herndon, Multimedia and Interdisciplinary Programs Librarian at the George Mason University Libraries.
Please e-mail comments and suggestions to therndo2@gmu.edu.
Last Reviewed, May 2002