Eyes on the Prize (1987– )

A documentary about the American Civil Rights Movement from 1952 to 1965.

Stars:

Julian Bond, Unita Blackwell, James Hicks

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Julian Bond	...	Narrator (14 episodes, 1987-1990)

Storyline

This is a documentary series about the glory years of the American Civil Rights Movement, starting in 1952 with the murder of Emmit Till and the subsequent trial and ending with the civil rights march to Selma in 1965. Along the way, the series touches on the major figures of the movement such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and major incidents such as the Little Rock school riots and Montgomery, Alabama Transit Boycott.

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Plot Keywords:

civil rights movement | boycott | racial discrimination | racial tension | heroism | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 February 1988 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Eyes on the Prize II

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blackside

Technical Specs

Runtime:

360 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The segment about the murder of Medger Evers states that Evers' killer has never been brought to justice. In 1989, a few years after this documentary was made, attorney Bobby DeLaughter reopened the murder case and brought Evers' killer Byron de la Beckwith (who had been tried twice resulting in a hung jury) to trial for the murder. Beckwith was convicted and sentence to life in prison. He died in prison of heart failure in 2001. (These events were dramatized in _Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)_.)

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Connections

Referenced in Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat (2002)

User Reviews

One Of The Best Documentaries Ever Made

This is the most comprehensive, detailed, and informative series of any covering the Civil Rights struggles from the early stages through the 1980's. This is a must see for any person looking to get information and insight on what the struggle for equality was like for black people in America. They compile actual footage from historical events, along with interviews with some of the people who were actually there. This series will make you go through a range of emotions as you actually feel of part of the history that you are viewing. Julian Bond, (who participated in many of these events) does a masterful job a narrating the entire series. This is one series that you must have in your collection.