Intergroup Relations Videos
- Videos that inspire dialogue and deliberation about intergroup relations issues
- Sources for additional intergroup-related videos
Videos that Inspire D&D about Intergroup Relations Issues
Africans in America: America's Journey through Slavery.
1998. Orlando Bagwell (Executive Producer). WGBH/PBS.
How did America build a new nation based on principles of liberty and equality while justifying the existence of slavery? Did American slavery and American freedom have to exist side by side in this nation? How has this history shaped current views about race? Africans in America: America's Journey through Slavery takes on these tough questions in a four-part documentary series narrated by Angela Bassett. The series takes viewers on a journey through the birth of America-from Jamestown in 1607 to the start of the Civil War in 1861-and shows the dramatic impact of the struggle over slavery and freedom in shaping our country. Contact WGBH Boston Video for a copy: PO Box 2284, South Burlington, VT 05407; 800-255-9424. $150.
Bubbeh Lee & Me.
Andy Abrahams Wilson: New Day Films.
As the filmmaker journeys to Florida to visit his feisty, 87-year old Jewish grandmother, tags along on her event-filled trips to the supermarket, and talks with her heart to heart about love, death, and his being gay, their two worlds collide and the strength of their bond emerges. A spirited reflection on aging, identity, alienation and acceptance, this 35-minute film examines the legacies passed through generations and shows that the journey of self-discovery can begin at any age. Order a copy through New Day Films, 22-D Hollywood Avenue Hohokus, NJ 07423; 201-652-6590 or 888-367-9154 (toll-free); email: ; website: www.newday.com. Videos are $199 for institutions or $89 for community groups/public libraries. $75 to rent.
Color Adjustment.
Marlon Riggs, Producer: Newsreel.
Color Adjustment traces 40 years of race relations through the lens of prime time entertainment, scrutinizing television's racial myths and stereotypes. Narrated by Ruby Dee, the 88-minute documentary allows viewers to revisit some of television's most popular stars and shows, among them Amos and Andy, The Nat King Cole Show, Good Times, Roots, and The Cosby Show. As engaging as it is perceptive, Color Adjustment sheds light on the racial implications of America's favorite addiction: television watching. It will help viewers reexamine America's and their own attitudes towards race. Order through Newsreel, 149 Ninth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-621-6196; email: ; website: www.newsreel.org.
Essential Blue-Eyed (aka ?Brown Eyed, Blue Eyed?).
Produced by ABC News.
A wake-up call for all ages, this best-selling program teaches about prejudice using a dramatic framework. It provides an examination of the realities of discrimination as experienced by actual students in the classroom of third grade teacher, Jane Elliott, whose demonstration shows how quickly children can succumb to discriminatory behavior. The video shows how easily prejudicial attitudes can lead to frustration, broken friendships and vicious behavior. This special Trainer's Version condensed the original film 86-minute film to its most insightful 50 minutes. Includes a new 36-minute debriefing in which Jane Elliott shows how to help participants apply the lessons of her exercise to their daily work lives. $295 from Guidance Associates (http://store.yahoo.com/guidanceassociates/). Its 60-minute sequel, A Class Divided, which was filmed 15 years later and explores what the children in Jane Elliott's daring classroom experiment learned about discrimination and how it still affects them today, is also available from Guidance Associates.
Eyes on the Prize I and II. 1986, 1990.
Hampton, H. (Producer). Alexandria, VA: PBS Video.
Eyes on the Prize I: America's Civil Rights Years (1959-1965) and Eyes on the Prize II: America at the Racial Crossroads (1965-1985). Combined, this 14-volume set of videos provides a comprehensive look at a critical 30-year period in the relations between African Americans and European Americans in the U.S. This stirring video series is both highly educational and highly motivational. Contact 1-800-645-4PBS or go to www.pbs.org/als/eyes_prize/ to order. Textbook/reader, faculty manual and tradebooks also available.
Facing Racism.
1996. Produced and written by Tom Weidlinger.
This 57-minute video is from the four-part Making Peace series focusing on 11 people who work neighbor-to-neighbor to heal the conditions that create violence in American communities. In this concluding segment, five individuals (white, Jewish, African-American, Latino and Asian) track their progress through an intensive three-day workshop in Berkeley, California, called Unlearning Racism. In an initial exercise, pairs of participants are instructed to find out as much as they can about their partner. When asked to report on what they learned, tempers flare as partners accuse each other of flippancy, misrepresentation and insensitivity. Frustration gives way to introspection as participants confront their preconceived notions about other racial and ethnic groups. Narrated by Ruby Dee. Obtain your copy from Films for the Humanities & Sciences: PO Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543; 800-257-5126; . $129.
Facing the Truth with Bill Moyers.
1999. Bill Moyers, Public Affairs Television/PBS.
Facing the Truth reports the extraordinary story of a nation engaged in telling the truth about its past with the hope of creating a new moral order for its future. This two-hour premiere looks at the history of apartheid in South Africa and wrestles with the questions and issues raised by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Whether South Africa succeeds is significant for all of Africa and for the United States, where thirty years after the death of Martin Luther King we are still groping to confront the issues of race. Obtain your copy from Films for the Humanities & Sciences: PO Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543; 800-257-5126; . $159.95.
Family Name.
1998. Alston, Macky (Director/Producer). PBS/Points of View.
A moving portrayal of a white filmmaker's search for his connection to the African Americans who share his surname. Macky Alston journeys across the South to trace his family's history as one of the largest slave-holding families in North Carolina. He chronicles the surprising twists and turns of the shared histories of his family and African-American Alstons who are descendents of slaves. The film won the Freedom of Expression Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Contact First Run/Icarus Films for a copy: 153 Waverly Place, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10014; 800-876-1710. $440 for institutions for the full-length version (89 minutes). $390 for the 60-minute version. Inquire about cost for personal use.
Four Little Girls.
1997. Spike Lee, Director. 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks.
Spike Lee's feature length documentary, Four Little Girls, tells the horrendous tale of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, which resulted in the death of four African American girls. The Academy Award-nominated film was originally made for the USA cable network channel HBO. List price: $14.95. Can be ordered from Amazon.com (for $14.94, as of 4/03).
Free Indeed.
1995. Mennonite Central Committee.
This 23-minute video is designed to begin a discussion about white privilege. In a roughly-acted drama, four white middle-class young adults are required to be involved in a unique card game before they can do a service project for a black Baptist church. Their ensuing discussion addresses issues of accountability, unseen assumptions, success and how racism effects white people. Contact MCC at 717-859-1151. The video is $20, but can be borrowed for the cost of shipping.
It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School.
1996. Debra Chasnoff, Director and Helen S. Cohen, Producer. Women's Educational Media.
It's Elementary is a highly acclaimed film shot in first through eighth grade classrooms across the U.S. The film, intended for an adult audience, is a window into what happens when educators address gay issues with their students in age-appropriate ways. With surprisingly funny and moving footage, It's Elementary demystifies what it means to talk with kids about gay people. The film makes a compelling argument that anti-gay prejudice and violence can be prevented if children have an opportunity to have these discussions when they're young. Order the full-length film (75 minutes) for $53.96 or the educational training version (37 minutes; includes guide) for $75.00 by calling 800-405-3322. Organization and institution purchases can be made by contacting New Day Films, at 888-367-9154. For further purchasing info, contact Women's Educational Media (phone: 415-641-4616, email: , web: www.womedia.org).
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet.
The Islam Project of Active Voice.
Tells the story of the 7th century man who, in just 23 years, changed history, and whose life continues to serve as a model for more than 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today. Much of the film's story is told by American Muslims whose experiences in some way echo Muhammad's life. Leading scholars and theologians provide additional insights, making the film an excellent resource for viewers seeking to understand the basic tenets of Islamic faith and practice. Contact Elaine Shen, Director of Training and Partnerships, for more information (415-553-2846 or ). You can also visit www.activevoice.net.
Muslims.
The Islam Project of Active Voice.
Explores what is means to be Muslim in Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Malaysia, Turkey and the United States. The film shows the diversity of thought, custom and lifestyle that co-exist in the Islamic world. It is especially helpful for exploring how the politics and cultures of the countries in which Muslims live influence religious practice and interpretation, as well as for examining some of the tensions and misunderstandings that exist among Western and Islamic countries. Contact Elaine Shen, Director of Training and Partnerships, for more information (415-553-2846 or ). You can also visit www.activevoice.net.
Not in Our Town I and II.
California Working Group and PBS.
Not in Our Town is a national movement that encourages community response to hate crimes. The project combines PBS broadcast, grassroots events, educational outreach and online activities to help communities battling hate talk to-and learn from-each other. Since 1995, NOT IN OUR TOWN has chronicled positive community organizing stories and provided practical tools to stimulate dialogue. Not in Our Town I is a 27-minute video which chronicles the community-wide response to hate crimes in Billings, Montana, and clearly illustrates the power of working together. Not in Our Town II (1997) is an inspiring 58-minute video which shows citizens joining together to deal with discrimination, hate crimes and church burnings in their communities. Organized into seven stand-alone segments to allow for flexibility, this video is useful in schools and all types of community settings. Contact 510-268-9675 or go to www.pbs.org/niot/ for the order form. $99 each or $150 for both.
The Possible Dream? The Quest for Racial & Ethnic Harmony in American Schools.
1993.
This 58-minute video examines racial and ethical relations in the aftermath of a high school brawl. The video follows students through the incident and leads to learning and discovery. Allowed to share their differences, fears and sense of despair, students who are convinced that the American dream is a joke gradually reach a consensus: The dream is possible and individuals can change things. This video is a catalyst that can provide youth with the problem-solving tools they need to resolve differences and ease tensions in their schools and communities. $49.95 each through the National Resource Center for Youth Services (918-585-2986).
A Question of Color.
1993. Kathe Sandler (Producer/Director), St. Clair Bourne (Executive Producer), Luke Harris (Co-Writer).
This 56-minute video traces ?colorism? back to the sexual subjugation of black women by slave owners and the preferential treatment their mixed-race children received. The film is especially sensitive to the burdens borne by black women who often feel devalued by white standards of beauty. Disturbing scenes with teen-age rappers, a Harlem plastic surgeon, a television news anchor and a writer indicate the color problem is still very much with us, affecting employment, friendship and marriage. This unusually sensitive film can help viewers examine the complex interplay between racial identity, culture and self-image in society and within themselves. $195 through California Newsreel (www.newsreel.org).
Rabbit in the Moon.
1999. Emiko Omori (Director/Producer). Points of View/PBS.
Like many Japanese Americans recently released from internment camps, the young Omori sisters did their best to erase the memories and scars of life under confinement. Fifty years later, acclaimed filmmaker Emiko Omori asks her older sister and other detainees to reflect on the personal and political consequences of internment. From the exuberant recollections of a ?typical? teenager, to the simmering rage of citizens forced to sign loyalty oaths, Omori renders a poetic and illuminating picture of a deeply troubling chapter in American history. Emiko Omori won the Best Cinematographer Award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Contact Transit Media for a copy: 22D Hollywood Avenue, Hohokus, NJ 07423; 800-343-5540.
Racism: Cross Colors.
1993.
Kids of various racial and ethnic backgrounds talk openly about being victimized by racism and having racist feelings themselves. This video can help to open candid discussions about a sensitive subject matter. VHS with leader's guide, 14 minutes. $79.95 each through the National Resource Center for Youth Services (918-585-2986).
Stolen Ground.
Lee Mun Wah. Oakland, CA: Stir-Fry Productions.
This 40-minute film by the makers of The Color of Fear documents six Asian American men who struggle against racism and their anguish and pain at the trauma of assimilation towards themselves and their families. A must see film for those striving to better understand the ?model minority? and the pressures of blending into the American culture. Contact Stir Fry Seminars at 1-800-370-STIR, www.stirfryseminars.com or . Each video is $360 for educational institutions, $220 for small nonprofits and $110 for individuals.
Tiger's Apprentice.
M. Trinh Nguyen: Taro Root Films.
Tiger's Apprentice is filmmaker M. Trinh Nguyen's journey to her native Vietnam to observe and document her great uncle's 'old-country' folk medicine practices. Armed with cameras, questions, and intrigue lined with skepticism, Nguyen travels to the Mekong Delta village to learn more about this part of her roots. This film is as much about Nguyen's personal journey for internal answers to her questions as it is about her physical journey for external answers. As she documents her great uncle's work, she is also documenting her own spiritual development and internal eastern/western identity struggle. Order this 57-minute video through Taro Root Films, 22-D Hollywood Avenue, Hohokus, NJ 07423; 800-343-5540; email: ; website: www.tarorootfilms.com ($175 for schools and libraries, $75 for community groups, $25 for individuals).
True Colors.
1991. Lucasiewicz, M. (Producer). Northbrook, IL: MTI Film & Video.
ABC News correspondent Diane Sawyer follows two anonymous discrimination testers, one Black and one White, as they separately shop at the same stores and car dealership and seek employment and housing. This 19-minute video clearly and powerfully illustrates the reality of white privilege.
Twilight: Los Angeles.
2001. WNET/Stage on Screen; Producer: Anna Deavere Smith; Director: Marc Levin. PBS.
Twilight: Los Angeles is a 90-minute film adaptation of Anna Deaveare Smith's acclaimed one-woman play detailing the 1991 Rodney King beating, the violent aftermath of the 1992 verdict and the lasting impact of the Los Angeles riots on America's conscience. Award-winning director Marc Levin (Slam, Whiteboys) weaves Smith's stage performance with news footage and recent interviews. Tapes can be ordered for $19.98 at www.pbs.org (or call 1-800-344-3337). A 6-page discussion guide can be downloaded by clicking here.
Unity Through Diversity: The Keynote Address.
1995. Souder, Betances and Associates, Inc.
In this 58-minute video of an interactive session, Dr. Samuel Betances delivers strategies to reduce prejudice and promote collaboration among people of diverse backgrounds. His message, framed by humor, calls us to see diversity as a plus. Understanding is enhanced, and the stage is set for creating change in which youth of different races, genders and religious groups work toward making coalitions of mutual interest in our multicultural society. $89.95 each through the National Resource Center for Youth Services (918-585-2986).
Sources for More Intergroup-Related Videos
Active Voice
A division of American Documentary Inc., Active Voices uses powerful documentary films as the basis for campaigns that inspire participants to positive action - civic engagement, volunteerism an dcoalition building. Campaigns include companion materials for the films and training for the facilitators of discussions held before and after film screenings. Contact Elaine Shen, Director of Training and Partnerships, for more information (415-553-2846 or ).
California Newsreel
California Newsreel provides information on educational videos on African American life and history, race relations and diversity training, African cinema, Media and Society, labor studies, campus life and much more. Founded in 1968, California Newsreel is the oldest and most notable non-profit documentary production and distribution center in the nation.
First Run/Icarus Films
First Run/Icarus has distributed high quality social issue documentaries to the educational community for over fifteen years. Their films cover a wide range of topics, including human rights, labor issues, and African, Asian and Latin American studies.
Human Rights International Film Festival
Showcase for leading fiction and documentary videos with human rights themes.
Maryknoll World Productions
Maryknoll and UNICEF have teamed up to provide excellent educational videos from around the world at low prices.
www.maryknoll.org/MALL/VIDEO/index.htm
National Asian American Telecommunications Association
Founded in 1980, NAATA advances the ideals of cultural pluralism in the U.S. and promotes the understanding of Asian Pacific American experiences through film, video, radio and new technologies.
New Day Films
A cooperative of independent producers and filmmakers, New Day Films provides over 100 films for schools on a variety of social issues, including multiculturalism, gender, media, physical and mental health, young adult issues, social and political history, and more.
PBS Adult Learning Service
Building upon PBS's commitment to education, the Adult Learning Service (ALS) licenses educational program rights to colleges, universities, and other organizations. The videos in their race and diversity series can be used to spark dialogue about race in classrooms, on campus, and in local communities.
Viewing Race
Viewing Race provides grassroots organizations, libraries, and other nonprofits with access to the best of independent films and other resources on the subject of race and diversity.
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