2019 1 hr. 42 min.
The Apollo chronicles the legacy of New York City’s landmark Apollo Theater, covering the rich history of the storied performance space over its 85 years.

2006 1 hr. 19 min.
The Believers is an unprecedented feature documentary that shatters assumptions about faith, gender, and religion. Built around the world's first transgender gospel choir, the film portrays the choir's dilemma: how to reconcile their gender identity with a widespread belief that changing one's gender goes against the word of God.

2016 52 min.
Faced with racist caricatures, African American painters decided to present a different image of their community than the one imposed by the degrading stereotypes of a brutally racist society. Ignored and marginalized, they had to wait a century before they finally won recognition. This film tells the story of how African American artists took back their image, from the abolition of slavery to the present day.

2019 1 hr. 18min.
This program explores the complicated history of the American South and its music through the life of country star Charley Pride. Raised in the brutally segregated Mississippi Delta, Pride's buttery voice, talent, and steely resolve led him to the Country Music Hall of Fame. A GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award® winner, his journey shows the ways that artistic expression can triumph over prejudice and injustice.

2021 1 hr. 29 min.
For decades, trailblazing photographer Gordon Parks brought the human struggle of the Black community out of the shadows and onto the pages of LIFE magazine. This documentary explores Parks' enduring legacy through the lens of three contemporary photographers, and spotlights his visionary work and its impact on the next generation of artists.

2017 36 min.
This is a biographical documentary film about an African American, self-taught artist who revealed through her vibrant paintings what daily life was like for her and her community on a 20th Century plantation.

2012 53 min.
In a triumphant career that lasted forty years Erroll Garner pushed the playability of the piano to its limits, developed an international reputation, and made an indelible mark on the jazz world. And yet, his story has never been told. Until now.

2005 1 hr. 25 min.
Taking the title from a never published essay by Melvin Van Peebles, the film follows his unpredictable life and career, both supported by his motto: if opportunity fails to knock, then build your own damn door and get on with it. The film includes decades of archival footage and interviews with a wide range of people, including Spike Lee, the late Gil Scott-Heron, Elvis Mitchell, the late pioneering filmmaker St. Clair Bourne and Van Peebles’ own sons, Mario and Max.

2002 28 min.
A lively exploration of the historical and cultural context of "Stepping," an energetic communal dance form sweeping college campuses. Young teams of dancers creatively add hip-hop movements to a tradition dating back to the early 20th century.

2017 1 hr. 53 min.
With unprecedented access, filmmakers Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack trace Dr. Maya Angelou’s incredible journey, shedding light on the untold aspects of her life through never-before-seen footage, rare archival photographs and videos and her own words.

2017 44 min.
In this fascinating documentary, we take an in depth look into the life and times of one of music’s greatest performers…Prince.

2019 1 hr. 40min.
The first major film documentary to examine Sammy Davis, Jr.'s vast talent and his journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th century America.

2014 39 min.
The luminaries of contemporary African American letters - poets, novelists, critics and actors - gathered in October, 2012 to pay tribute to Toni Morrison, read from her writings and share what it has meant to their lives and work.

2012 1 hr. 51 min.
The craft. The history. The power. All these elements of the hip-hop movement are discussed with director Ice-T and the legends he interviews —Afrika Bambaataa, Eminem, Nas, Mos Def, Kanye West, Chuck D, KRS-One, Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC, and Ice Cube—in this compelling and gritty feature-length documentary.

2001 1 hr. 43 min.
A look back on Tupac’s final years through the eyes of Rap legends “Eazy-E”, Russell Simmons and Tupac’s personal bodyguard, Frank Alexander. Featuring never-before-seen footage.