"Race Movies"
The Popular Art of the Black Renaissance
Discover the first black filmmakers from their earliest days through the twenties. This historic film short focuses on the movies that were made and the production companies that produced them.  We'll see the early struggles and eventual contributions that would open the door for all future film and television stars.  Pioneers featured in this film are producers James Weldon Johnson, Richard D. Maurice & the legendary Oscar Micheaux, whose films, like his colleagues, offered a positive image and an alternative for African American filmgoers. 

Original Film Shorts
"Bubbling Over" (1934) starring Ethel Waters
"Boogie-Woogie Dream" (1944) starring Lena Horne 
 "The Negro In Entertainment" (1950)

Swingin' Soundies
Hear and see 6 original soundies from the 1940's. These "three-minute-movies" were originally screened on a visual jukebox during WWII. Includes the King Cole Trio; Ida James, Count Basie and more!

Extra
"Jubilee: Strictly G.I."  The hippest all-black WWII radio broadcast
"Pick a Bale O' Cotton" (Rare) sung by blues legend, "Leadbelly" 
"Spying The Spy" (1918 silent)  One of the earliest black films made in Hollywood 
 "Little Black Sambo" (1935, silent, edited version) Once banned black cartoon