TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004)

5.3/10 100 min Documentary

Overview

Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the medium's first half-century. Actors, writers and historians discuss the image of black America on television from Amos and Andy to the present day. The interviews accompany clips from groundbreaking shows and performances by entertainment pioneers that create a timeline of the portrayal of African Americans throughout TV history.

Cast

Muhammad Ali

Self (archive footage)

John Amos

(archive footage)

Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson

Self (archive footage)

Desi Arnaz

(archive footage)

Obba Babatundé

Self

Pearl Bailey

Self (archive footage)

Lucille Ball

(archive footage)

Harry Belafonte

Self (archive footage)

Patricia Belcher

Self

Willie Best

Self (archive footage)

H. Rap Brown

Self (archive footage)

Cindy Birdsong

Self (archive footage)

James Brown

Self (archive footage)

Cab Calloway

Self (archive footage)

Diahann Carroll

(archive footage)

Ray Charles

Self (archive footage)

Bill Cosby

Self (archive footage)

Sammy Davis Jr.

Self (archive footage)

Ruby Dee

(archive footage)

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