Synopsis
The documentary begins with an explanation of the social context for American blacks at the turn of the 20th century. It then looks at milestones in the development of race films. This includes a look at early silent films, most notably the work of William Foster (The Pullman Porter, 1910).
With the release of The Birth of a Nation in 1915, writer Oscar Micheaux, the grandson of slaves, shifted his attention to film, releasing his first race film, The Homesteader, in 1918, followed in 1920 by Within Our Gates and The Symbol of the Unconquered in 1921. With the transition to sound, Micheaux continued to make race films, some of which were controversial even within the Black community.
While the advent of sound decreased the number of race films being made, due to the rise in costs, notable films continued to be released. This included a series of three singing-cowboy movies starring Herb Jeffries as "The Bronze Buckaroo."
Read more about this topic: Midnight Ramble (film)