TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the medium's first half-century. Actors, writers and historians discuss the image of black America on television from Amos and Andy to the present day. The interviews accompany clips from groundbreaking shows and performances by entertainment pioneers that create a timeline of the portrayal of African Americans throughout TV history.

Muhammad Ali

(Self (archive footage))

Jonelle Allen

John Amos

((archive footage))

Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson

(Self (archive footage))

Desi Arnaz

((archive footage))

Obba Babatundé

Pearl Bailey

(Self (archive footage))

Lucille Ball

((archive footage))

Harry Belafonte

(Self (archive footage))

Patricia Belcher

Willie Best

(Self (archive footage))

H. Rap Brown

(Self (archive footage))

Cindy Birdsong

(Self (archive footage))

James Brown

(Self (archive footage))

Cab Calloway

(Self (archive footage))

Diahann Carroll

((archive footage))

Ray Charles

(Self (archive footage))

Bill Cosby

(Self (archive footage))

Sammy Davis Jr.

(Self (archive footage))

Ruby Dee

((archive footage))

Redd Foxx

((archive footage))

Marvin Gaye

(Self (archive footage))

Whoopi Goldberg

(Self (archive footage))

Arsenio Hall

(Self (archive footage))

Lena Horne

(Self (archive footage))

Michael Jackson

(Self (archive footage))