He was a filmmaker whose documentaries told little-known stories of life in black America. He used archival film footage, still photos, and interviews to explore forgotten subjects.
He grew up in Harlem behind the legendary Apollo Theater, where, as a teenager, he sometimes ran the film projector.
He worked as a shipping clerk for a distributor of educational films, and then at Killiam Shows, a company that restored silent films. There, he learned how to repair film and clip segments for use in commercials.