Colin Powell Movies
- 2008
Directed by filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and produced by journalist Elvis Mitchell, this collaborative documentary offers an informative collection of portraits of twenty influential African Americans ranging from powerful CEOs to prolific artists, well-known politicians, and dedicated activists. Artist Bill T. Jones discusses the reaction of his contemporaries after he described himself as an artist first and a black man second, Chris Rock describes how equality in sports didn't come about until there were bad black athletes in the major leagues, and Vernon Jordan ponders the reason why there is a clear definition of black America while white America remains a vague, undefined standard. Other conversations find Academy Award-winning actor Lou Gossett Jr. discussing institutionalized racism and its effect on his onscreen career, museum curator Thelma Golden reflecting on the times when people mistakenly assumed she was her own assistant, and, by contrast, the manner in which author Toni Morrison was encouraged as a young girl to believe that women can be just as strong as men. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Mitchell
- 2006
- Add King: Man of Peace in a Time of War to QueueAdd King: Man of Peace in a Time of War to top of Queue
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War documents the work Martin Luther King did in attempting to bring peace to people during the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. The film includes interviews with contemporaries such as Jesse Jackson, and military experts like Colin Powell. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2000
When the office of the presidency was first envisioned, it was one of several in a system of governing powers. How well it would work depended upon the cooperation of the other branches of government. The American President: The Balance of Power offers the viewer a penetrating look at this system's potential flaws. Four presidents have tested these balances of power: James Madison, James Polk, William Taft, and Bill Clinton. How these leaders have challenged the interaction between branches of government is documented. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This PBS home video tells the story of Lt. Henry Flipper. Lt. Flipper was the first black man to graduate from West Point Military Academy. The program includes historic narratives from General Colin Powell and Ossie Davis. and archival photography. Actor George Robert Snead portrays Lt. Flipper as an elderly man looking back on the events of his military career. The story is told of the racial injustices Lt. Flipper faced while trying to fulfill his dream. After receiving his first assigment as an officer to the 10th cavalry he was framed for embezzlement and dishonorably discharged from the army. The video concludes with the clearing of his name, 40 years after his death. ~ Beth Deki, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This film pays homage to the many contributions of African American soldiers during World War II. The heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen, the Nurse Corps, the Red Ball Express, the 92nd Infantry Division, and the 761st Tank Battalion are given their due, with personal tributes by Colin Powell, and comments from President Bill Clinton. There are interviews and recollections of the soldiers themselves, as they recount their harrowing moments in battle, and discuss the racism they faced while they were risking their lives for their country. Historical film footage graphically tells the story of these soldiers, who were overlooked, and often forgotten. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1998
In the years between 1791 and 1831, with the United States newly independent, the Enlightenment spirit of equality and freedom stood directly at odds with the demands of economic expediency. The invention of the cotton gin caused an insatiable demand for cheap labor and led to an ever more vocal proslavery constituency, but abolitionism was also beginning to catch on. Volume Three of WGBH's Africans in America series looks at this tempestuous era through the lives of the dynamic men and women who fought either to maintain or to revolutionize their way of life. The booming urban environment of Philadelphia is covered extensively, including the growth of a black middle class, Absalom Jones' and Richard Allen's Free African Society, the Yellow Fever epidemic, female activism, Benjamin Franklin's involvement with the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, and the proposal by some to create a free black homeland back in Africa. The slave revolt in Haiti and several organized rebellions in America are also discussed. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Volume Two of this landmark television series covers the period of 1750 to 1805, exploring the experience of second-generation slavery in the midst of revolution. Born in the tobacco fields and farms of North America rather than in Africa, the new generation's identity and sense of community was defined by the realities of life in the New World. Slaves bore biblical names, visited Christian churches, and, despite their subhuman status, developed an attachment to the only country they had ever known. This documentary tells their story (including figures such as Crispus Attucks), and it also tells the real stories of the revolutionary heroes you might have thought you knew: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other writers of a Constitution that protected slavery. See how moral ambivalence, paradoxical philosophies, and broken promises of "freedom for all" impacted the lives of African-Americans and influenced the fate of the young United States. Features first-person narratives from Abigail Adams and Phyllis Wheatley, and a modern-day perspective from General Colin Powell. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- 1998
An historical event in itself, this ambitious documentary series from WGBH Boston reexamines the institutions and personal narratives behind America's heritage of slavery, disclosing and inviting viewers to face the undeniable truths they might not have learned in school, truths that still influence life in America. Volume One covers the period from 1450 to 1750: the origins of indentured servitude in Europe, the Portuguese search for gold in Africa and subsequent capture of African laborers, and the growth of the Caribbean and North American colonies. The title, The Terrible Transformation, refers to several concurrent transformations in America, including the slow, deliberate process in which indentured servants became slaves for life, the transformation of free colonies into slave states, and the loss of hope among Africans who began to realize that their children would inherit the scourge of slavery. Finally, this documentary covers the history of preexisting forms of "slavery" in Africa, the Middle Passage in which half of the human cargo perished, the bondage of European laborers in the New World, and the economic realities that fostered the slave system. Africans in America relies heavily on rare images and first-person accounts for its startling revelations and dramatic reenactments. It also features modern perspectives and interpretations by prominent cultural and academic figures, including John Edgar Wideman, Barry Unsworth, and Colin Powell. Ideal for educational use. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Youthful lawbreaker Jason DeLee (Vicelllous Reon Shannon) is "volunteered" by Monica (Roma Downey) to participate in a program sponsored by Denver Juvenile Services, wherein at-risk teenagers help out with physically disabled youngsters at the Linwood Children's Academy. Despite his initial resistance, Jason manages to form a bond with cerebral palsy victim Kelly (Marisa Velez). Unfortunately, Kelly's mom Anita (a pre-The Practice Camryn Manheim) has a deep and abiding hatred for all "gang-bangers," and she is convinced that Jason is beyond redemption. When originally telecast on April 27, 1997, this episode was introduced by General Colin Powell, who at the time was General Chairman of the President's Summit on America's Future. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Footage from CNN and the BBC, reports on the air attack on Baghdad and Operation Desert Storm, and firsthand accounts from Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell are included in this documentary, which examines the events and concerns leading up to the Gulf War, the war itself, and the times that followed it. Interviews with world leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev are also featured, along with video footage and information from various sources and outlooks, in an effort to provide a balanced view of a tense and important happening in modern history. ~ Alice Duncan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Desert Storm military are welcomed home with this video celebration featuring never before seen war footage. ~ All Movie Guide
