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

No doubt - best documentary ever.

I have seen parts of the series in no fewer than 3 academic classes of varrying topics during my time at Pepperdine University. This outstanding series is professional to the core, attracting the biggest names of the day to give interviews (from both Civil Rights fighters to pro-segregationists) and give an honest look at the moment in the 1950's and 1960's. Powerfully moving, it brings me to tears each time I watch certain scenes. As comprehensive as any documentary I've seen, Eyes on the Prize gives the low down on the movement, its highs and lows, and provides a very real perspective on why the events played out as they did. A winner in every sense, I give the PBS produced Eyes on the Prize a 10/10 without a second thought.

Kudos for the series.