Harvard professor and author Henry Louis Gates Jr. has been writing for years about a growing economic divide between middle class African-Americans and the black underclass concentrated in inner cities. Two Nations of Black America, a 1998 episode of PBS' Frontline series, finds Gates reviewing what happened to black America during the thirty years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Gates demonstrates that King's attention in the late period before his death had shifted from civil rights to making the academic, economic, and governing power infrastructures in America more racially inclusive. Affirmative action policies, which helped Gates and other African-Americans attend college, was a major force in the development of a black middle class in America, although Gates and other commentators here say that many have not reaped the benefits of increased opportunities. Combining history with personal reflection, Gates recalls being part of the largest group of blacks ever admitted to Yale, after which he immediately faced identity confusion. Were he and fellow students supposed to turn down their opportunity at Yale to show solidarity with the militant arm of the Black Power movement? Or were they supposed to take advantage of their education and try to open other doors for blacks after they graduated? After a near-disastrous flirtation with the former, Gates and the others opted for the latter. Featuring interviews with Cornel West, Julian Bond, Angela Davis, Eldridge Cleaver, and others, this is an excellent (if also somewhat dated) look at the divided state of African-American economic power in the U.S. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)
Two Nations of Black America
(1998) 60 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.95 w/PPR). PBS </span>Video (tel: 800-344-3337, web: <a href="http://www.pbs.org/">www.pbs.org</a>). Closed captioned. ISBN: 0-7936-9420-5. September 1, 2008
Two Nations of Black America
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: