Yolanda King Movies

Coproduced by the DiC animation firm and PBS, Liberty's Kids was a half-hour historical cartoon series set during the American Revolution. The principal characters were Sarah Phillips and James Hiller, apprentices both to the multifaceted Benjamin Franklin. The fact that Sarah was loyal to the British and James was a 100-percent "Yankee Doodle" added to the cultural diversity of the series, as did the presence of James' friend Moses, a freed slave, and Henri, an eight-year-old French street urchin unofficially adopted by James and Moses. The series' real drawing card was its stellar cast of voice actors, portraying the many historical personages with whom Sarah, James, Moses, and Henri came into contact. For example, Ben Franklin was voiced by veteran newscaster Walter Cronkite (who even got to say "That's the way it is" on occasion); Michael Douglas was heard as Patrick Henry; Sylvester Stallone enacted Paul Revere; Dustin Hoffman interpreted notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold; and Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to sneak an "I'll be back" into his characterization of Baron Von Steuben. Geared for children aged seven to 12, Liberty's Kids joined the PBS daytime manifest on September 2, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A young girl stuck in a horrific cycle of familial violence finds the power to build her own future from the place she least suspected in an inspiring tale of friendship and devotion starring Ossie Davis and Della Reese, and directed by Bruce Pittman. For years Jo Ann Foley (Madeline Zima) has suffered under the cruel hand of her ruthless grandfather. A chance meeting with kindly neighbors Honey (Reese) and her husband Too Tall (Davis) finds things looking up, however, as the nurturing couple provides Jo Ann with the support needed to break free of her grandfather's tyrannical grip. As the future lies before her ready to be molded however she sees fit, Jo Ann must now find the courage to let go of the past and seek the redemption needed to start life anew. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Made especially for the HBO cable network, this well-wrought feature is comprised of three short stories by three noted black American authors, each of which is directed by a respected black director. The first tale, Long Black Song, was written by Richard Wright and is set in Alabama, 1938. It centers on a bored farmer's wife (Tina Lifford) who dallies with a handsome white peddler (Tate Donovan) while her husband (Danny Glover) takes the crops to market. The second story, The Boy Who Painted Christ Black, was written by John Henrik Clarke and takes place in Georgia ten years after the first vignette. It centers on a community-wide conflict created when a student attending a segregated high school paints a portrait of a black Jesus and submits it to a state-wide art contest designed to foster ethnic pride. At first, principal George Du Vaul (Wesley Snipes) is taken aback by the picture, but after much contemplation, he decides to put his career on the line and enter it. Maya Angelou penned the third story, The Reunion. It takes place in Chicago, 1958, and centers on a jazz singer (Lorraine Toussaint) who finds herself reliving painful childhood memories of growing up a servant's daughter in a wealthy white home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Morgan Freeman makes an early screen appearance in this made-for-television docudrama inspired by the life and death of African-American activist Malcolm X. Book-ended by interviews with people who knew and worked with Malcolm X, the bulk of Death of a Prophet follows 24 hours in the life of a powerful but controversial civil rights spokesman referred to only as "the Prophet Minister." The minister has become a marked man since breaking ties with the religious group from which he rose, and after his family is threatened and his house is fire bombed, he knows his enemies will soon claim his life. Despite all this, the minister goes through the motions of his life on a Sunday, preparing for a speaking engagement, talking with friends and associates, and spending precious moments with his wife (Yolanda King). Legendary jazz percussionist Max Roach composed the film's musical score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

King: The Martin Luther King Story originated as a three-part miniseries, first telecast February 12, 13 and 14, 1978. Paul Winfield is starred as Martin Luther King, with Cicely Tyson as Coretta Scott King. The film covers the years 1954 through 1968, taking Rev. King from his first peaceful protests against segregation in Montgomery to his murder in Memphis. Scenarist/director Daniel Mann came under fire in 1978 for his adaptation of King's life, and for once the critics were right. Despite Winfield's masterful and accurate portrayal of King, the rest of the 6-hour drama compromises the truth with the hokiest of fabrications. Just a few examples: Sheriff "Bull" Connor's men walk out on him en masse when he threatens to hose down black schoolchildren; Mayor Daley warns King against protesting in Chicago, saying "We have a reputation to protect; this is the home of Al Capone"; King has a friendly meeting with Malcolm X in 1966, a full year after Malcolm X was killed....and so it goes. Martin Luther King certainly deserved a superior mini-series. Perhaps some day he'll get one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide