The Ku Klux Klan - A Secret History (History Channel) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)To answer the reviewer's question below, I am a US History teacher who has used this video numerous times in my classroom. The video presents an objective (at least as objective as one can be about what is essentially a terrorist organization) look at what one history professor who is interviewed calls an "American-born terrorist group". Created by the History Channel, this video covers the history of the Klan from its beginnings in the post-Civil War, Reconstruction-Era South to modern-day variations such as David Duke and the Skinheads. In a sense the video is also a history of the civil rights movement in America, as it is during periods of activism for equal rights that the Klan has been the most active - and deadly - hate group in American history. The video argues that during its history the Klan has not been a stable or consistent organization. Instead, it goes through cycles - it rises up to oppose minority rights and promote "White Supremacy", then nearly dies out, then rises yet again out of its own ashes to oppose minority rights activists in another historical era. The Klan's first period of power was in the post-Civil War South, when whites felt threatened by the newly freed slaves and used the Klan to try and thwart their newly-won civil rights, with considerable success. The organization then died away until 1915, when it was reborn at Stone Mountain, Georgia. In the 1920's it spread across the USA, with "klaverns" in all 48 states and some 4-5 million members. It opposed not only blacks, but Jews, Catholics, and all "foreigners". They staged a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, and controlled the state government in Indiana. But the Klan self-destructed in a series of scandals, ranging from the brutal rape-murder of a white woman in Indiana, bribery and blackmail of politicians, and the embezzling of funds by the Klan leadership. By the thirties the Klan was again virtually extinct, yet it rose again in the fifties and sixties to oppose the civil rights movement with bombings, lynchings, assassinations of civil rights workers and leaders, and other acts of violence. However, the FBI and other federal law-enforcement agencies, backed by President Lyndon Johnson, went after the most dangerous Klan groups by bribing its members to turn in those who had committed crimes against civil rights workers and leaders, and using the IRS to destroy the Klan financially. In the 1970's the Klan tried to change its image by using men such as David Duke in Lousiana to promote the view of the "Klan next door" as Julian Bond, a prominent civil rights leader, calls him. Yet Duke is shown to be just as dangerous as previous, less-polished Klan leaders.
This video is not for the faint of heart - at its beginning and end the documentary shows a modern-day Klan rally in North Carolina, and the "n" word and other racial epithets are spoken frequently. Yet my students (black, white, and Hispanic) have learned a great deal from this video about the nature of hate groups and racism in America - and I believe they'll be better-prepared to resist such groups in their own lives. If you want a factual yet deeply disturbing "inside" look at America's most famous native-born terrorist group, then this video is the best you can buy.

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From its birth out of the ashes of the Civil War to rare interviews with the current Grand Dragon and Imperial Wizard, this is the definitive history of the KKK.

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10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love these documentaries. I don't quite understand the viewpoint of the other review. I work in the film industry and these docs are extremely well made by the best directors in documentary filmmaking.
They picked days in history that lead up to great events - turning points. They highlighted parts of our history that we rarely hear about in school or otherwise and I found them fascinating. My husband and I watched them together and would have wonderful discussions afterward. The subject matter was thought provoking and I felt showed how events from our past affect the future.
Each one was done in a different style with a different director. It seemed to me that content dictated the each style - very well executed. I highly recommend these films. Bravo!

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Offering a fresh perspective on the American experience, 10 acclaimed documentary filmmakers direct ten pivotal moments in United States history and the often unexpected changes they triggered. These critical but unsung pieces of history include a local rebellion that inspired a national constitution, bullets fired in Buffalo, New York, and even a crooner from Memphis who couldn't stand still. These are just a few of the fascinating subjects explored in 10 DAYS THAT UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGED AMERICA--10 riveting one-hour documentaries by 10 award-winning independent filmmakers. Together, the documentaries represent compelling stories about less well known events that serve as a lens with which to view the range of the American experience. From the first massacre of Native Americans to the single bloodiest day in American history, from a courtroom battle of science vs. religion that still rages today to the racial murders that led to the Voting Rights Act, these are the events that tested America's soul and forged her destiny.

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The Color of Friendship (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a wonderful, touching movie. The actress Lindsey Haun puts in an awesome performance as Mahree Bok.
Why doesn't Disney release this movie on DVD?

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Inspired by actual events comes this Emmy Award-winning movie about two girls from different worlds who learn the ultimate lesson about tolerance and friendship. When African-American Congressman Ron Dellums and his daughter Piper (Shadia Simmons, ZENON: THE ZEQUEL), greet their South African exchange student Mahree (Lindsey Haun, BRING IT ON), they're surprised to discover she's white. But no one's more surprised than Mahree herself, a product of the Apartheid system, who's been raised to view dark-skinned people as second-class citizens. Only if Piper and Mahree can learn to see past their differences will they discover the friendship of a lifetime.

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The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)It was in August of 1955 that 15-year-old Emmett Till was sent from Chicago by his mother to spend the summer with his great uncle, Moses Wright, in Money, Mississippi. On August 24, Till and some other black teenagers who had been picking cotton went to Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market to get some candy. In the store Till allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. When her husband returned from a trip several days later and heard about the incident, Bryant and his half-brother J. W. Milam decided to "teach the boy a lesson." On August 28, they kidnapped Till from his uncle's house, too him to a plantation shed, brutalized the boy, shot him, and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie river, having tied a seventy pound fan from a cotton gin around Till's neck with barbed wire. The two men were tried and found not guilty by an all-white jury. In January 1956 their confession was paid for and published by "Look" magazine. Both men would die from cancer, Milam in 1980 and Bryant in 1990.
I do not remember when I first heard of Emmett Till, but the story of the black teenager who was killed by white men in Mississippi for the crime of whistling at a white woman was a pivotal event in energizing the Civil Rights Movement and I have known about it for a long time. However, I never saw a photograph of Emmett Till's body until I was at the Seattle Art Museum looking at an exhibit having to deal with depictions of race and gender in art, and there was a small photograph of Till's body on display at his funeral. The photograph was too small to tell any details, but you were struck by the swollen and misshaped head. It did not look human, but then to Milam and Bryant, Emmett Till was never a human being.
The title of Keith A. Beauchamp's documentary is "The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till," not because the story has not been told, but because the people he interviewed, including Till's mother, Mamie Carthan Mobley, along with several cousins and friends from that summer in Mississippi, never had a chance to tell their story in court. Beauchamp provides them with that opportunity, using newsreel footage from 1955 as well. It follows the chronology of events, from Till's birth to the present and Beauchamp's own investigations into the case (his chief claim is that up to 14 other people were involved in the crime in various ways). For just telling the story and covering the facts, Beauchamp keeps things pretty basic in his documentary, letting people speak for themselves.
The most unforgettable part of the documentary is when Mobley tells the story of getting her son's body back home. Officials in Mississippi wanted to bury the body before anybody got a good look at it and when Mobley managed to get it back to Chicago the coffin was nailed shut. But she got it opened and then describes what it was she saw in simple and graphic details, emphasizing not the horrors but the child she remembered (e.g., she smiles as she talks about how she thought Emmett's teeth were the most beautiful things she had ever seen and then remembering seeing only two of them and wondering where the rest of them were). It is only after Beauchamp lets her tell of the pivotal point where she decides to leave the casket open at the funeral so the world can see what was done to her son in Mississippi that we go from a school photograph of a smiling Emmett Till to the wrecked ruin of his face and head. This is the most disturbing image from the Civil Rights movement, but that is exactly why it is the most important one and why its publication in "Jet" was an important catalyst. You really cannot tell the story unless you look at the photograph, and teachers who want to show this documentary to their students should be prepared to defend their decision.
In addition to Mobley, it is Moses Wright, who stood up in court and pointed to the two white men who came and took away Till (there is a photograph of the dramatic moment), who stands out here. But it strikes me that somebody who is not mentioned by name, William Bradford Huie, played a key role as well. A journalist and author ("The Americanization of Emily," "The Klansman"), Huie was often criticized by mainstream journalists for using his checkbook to get stories. But it was Huie who paid the murderers to confess in a national publication five months later. A follow up story revealed that the businesses of Milam and Bryant had gone under because they were ostracized by local whites. I am sure this did not happen because of the murders, which clearly the jury representing the town supported, but because of the published confession that took away the thin veneer provided by the not guilty verdict.
This documentary received a lot of publicity because it fueled an effort to reopen the case. The U.S. Department of Justice did reopen the case to determine whether others in addition to Milam and Bryant were involved. The F.B.I. and Mississippi officials worked on a joint investigation, and while Till's body was exhumed so an official autopsy could be performed, the federal investigation was closed in March of this year. Consequently, justice in this case will not result in anybody ending up in jail, but rather with preserving the testimony of these witnesses for posterity (Till's mother died after the documentary was completed). Carolyn Bryant (now Donham after her fourth husband) is still alive and living in Greenville Mississippi. Signs in her front yard warn that uninvited visitors will be prosecuted, an apparent indication that she believes the law in Mississippi continues to protect her a lot more than it ever did Emmett Till.

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In August 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley of Chicago sent her only child, 14 year-old Emmett Louis Till, to visit relatives in the Mississippi Delta.Little did she know that only 8 days later, Emmett would be abducted from his Great-Uncle’s home, brutally beaten and murdered by one of the oldest Southern taboos: whistling at a white woman in public.The murderers were soon arrested but later acquitted of murder by an all-white, all-male jury.Keith Beauchamp's groundbreaking film is the result of a 10-year journey to uncover the truth behind the nightmarish murder of an innocent African-American teenager. Emmett’s brutal murder - and his family’s brave actions in the horrifying aftermath- served as a major impetus for America's civil rights movement and led to Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make decisions that changed the course of history.Discover for yourself why the Chicago Tribune wrote, "If you don’t believe film can change the world, you haven’t seen The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till."

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The Rosa Parks Story (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)I used this video for Black History Month in a middle school. Most of the students had heard of Rosa Parks, but didn't know her life story. The film conveys her in such a human manner that the students were able to see her as a person and not just an historical figure. Many of the scenes in the film depicting separate but equal angered these students, who are too young to remember when these things actally existed. The film definitely elicited an emotional response from all who viewed it.

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Boycott (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)In a good way. Here, the man who brought us "Peoples Hernandez" gets to play a character whose charisma actually equals his own. I speak of none other than the legendary Martin Luther King, Jr. Seriously, it may be impossible to emmulate a man so great, but Wright gives a great effort, full of Passion and Polish, that makes you feel the events surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For people, like myself, too young to remember the civil rights era, this movie is as educational as it is entertaining. And vice versa.

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Jasper, Texas (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)I rented this movie when it first hit the video stores & later wound up purchasing a copy on DVD. It was sickening to watch the scene where James Byrd gets dragged to death by the three racist, young white men. I own a book on the tragedy & the book goes into much greater detail regarding the events which led up to the brutal murder. John King, the ringleader, is believed to have been sexually assaulted by a group of blacks in prison & this supposedly made him a bonafide racist. If that's true it doesn't justify in any way what he did to Mr. Byrd, who was just a random victim. I was jumped by four blacks in 1980 when I was 14 (I'm caucasian) & it was definitely racially motivated. For a number of years afterward I had racist feelings but have long since gotten over them. Racism is WRONG & simply cannot be tolerated. Racism must be fought wherever it is encountered because we are all human beings and all equal in the eyes of God. We should focus on our similarities & not on our differences. The KKK is not nearly as strong as it once was & is fading fast. Getting back to the movie, I thought it was good that they showed many blacks & whites trying to bridge their differences (especially the church communities). When the KKK & Black Panthers came to Jasper to start trouble, the town (blacks & whites) stood up to both groups. It was satisfying to watch those three scumbags get what they deserved. Two got the death penalty & the third got life without parole, I believe. Hopefully this will send a clear message to bigots everywhere that this isn't the 19th century anymore & if they commit these violent, hate crimes they will forfeit their own lives. May James Byrd rest in peace.

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This extraordinary true drama, set in the small town of Jasper, TX in1998, explores the aftermath of the horrible death of James Byrd, Jr., the African- American who was dragged to his death by three white men. An outraged nation watchedas the white sheriff, played convincingly by Jon Voight, and the first black mayor ofJasper, played by Louis Gossett, Jr. struggle to maintain control of their town and theirpersonal emotions. Jasper, Texas is a shocking reminder of the racial tension that stillexists today.

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American Dreams - Season One (Extended Music Edition) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)"American Dreams" is a show that could have been on the air during the very timeframe in which it was set. In it's entirely too short three season run, it was a standout, simply because it was well written, wonderfully acted, and just plain entertaining - something to which the millions of reality shows and "Law and Order" clones cluttering the airwaves couldn't begin to compare. "American Dreams" captured both the lingering innocence and the burgeoning counter culture of the 60's. Kids spent their time listening to records and watching "American Bandstand", but surreptitiously attended war protests on college campuses. Dads earned a living and handed down advice and discipline while moms cooked balanced meals, but after the children were in bed, they discussed such taboo subjects as women's rights, race relations, and birth control. All of these subjects were addressed intelligently and realistically, but the writers never failed to add humor to the scripts as well.
Much of the show was from the viewpoint of Meg Pryor (played by the wonderful Brittany Snow). We first meet Meg as a sweet 15 year old who realizes her lifelong dream of becoming a dancer on "American Bandstand". The two hour pilot episode finds Meg and her wild child best friend Roxanne scheming to be pulled from the daily lineup of hopeful dancers outside the Philadelphia television studio where "Bandstand" is filmed, for a guest appearance on the show. It takes some conniving on the part of the always hilariously outrageous Roxanne, but one day the impossible happens, and both girls make it onto the show. Meg doesn't believe it could possibly get any better - until she catches the eye of one of the show's producers, who offers her a regular spot. Her ecstasy is short lived when she finds out that not only was Roxanne was not asked to be a regular, but her father will not allow her to be on the show. Meg's determination finally wins her father's permission, but her guilt over Roxanne leads to her decision to quit. A resolution is reached when the producer is impressed by Meg's loyalty and invites Roxanne to be a regular as well, but the pilot ends on a somber note with the assassination of President Kennedy.
This episode is characteristic of the rest of the season (and Seasons 2 and 3 as well). "American Bandstand" features prominently in the series as we follow Meg and Roxanne's daily adventures as dancers and minor celebrities. One of the highlights of the series was the outstanding performances of many 21st century bands playing 60's acts such as Jay and The Americans and The Kinks. However, it also tackles heavier issues, such as the Vietnam War (a major focus of Season 2, which follows the active duty of Meg's brother J.J.) and racism. Many storylines feature Henry, a black employee of Meg's father's appliance store, and his son Sam, with whom Meg forms a close friendship despite disapproval from both families and society in general. Over the course of the three seasons, Meg develops from a starry eyed "good girl" to an intelligent, socially conscious young woman, who challenges the gender roles set for her and always follows the path that she knows is right. But the show never forgot how to have fun as well.
"American Dreams" was one of the finest television shows ever produced. Thumbs down to NBC for not recognizing what they had. If only they'd given it a fighting chance (putting it in a decent time slot and allowing the episodes to be re-run in the off season), it would have been remembered as a legend years from now!


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