Episode 1 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. As Dr. Angelou puts it: "What is Africa to me?" Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio discussing "positive Africanisms": childrens games, dance, poetry, religion and the blues. She states: "The preachers and the blues singers are the poets of the black American world." Also features views on location of children playing street games, of Rev. WR Drummer and Rev. JL Strawther preaching at the Little Zion Baptist Church in San Francisco and of B.B. King performing on-stage and being interviewed by Dr. Angelou.
Episode 2 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio discussing issues relating to "negative Africanisms," which she characterizes as modes of behavior which were neccesary as survival tactics for African Americans until now but will need to be re-examined. Dr. Angelou uses poetry, verbal analysis, music dramatic sketches and interpretive dance to illustrate her points.
Episode 3 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio reflecting on Africa's history and rich cultural legacy, using poetry, dance, analysis of the oral tradition and an interview with South African poet Willie Kgositsile to illustrate her points. Dr. Angelou states that: "Every black American should own a map of Africa." Also features views on location of African cultural artefacts at UC Berkeley and a visit to the Negro Historical Society in San Francisco, where children are being taught about their ancestral history.
Episode 4 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio discussing the function of music in Africa (used to communicate, entertain and instruct) and how slavery influenced the evolution of African American spiritual music, as an expression of faith. She also considers the inception of blues style music and the development of jazz, singing herself and with performances by the Ken Bonsieh Quartet, gospel singers, The Heavenly Tones and the Jimmy Ed Trio. Note that at 30mins 30secs into this clip, Dr. Angelou explains the significance of the series title 'Blacks, Blues, Black!'.
Episode 5 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio explaining why she feels it's essential to teach students a fully balanced account of African history. She states: "It is important that black Americans understand today that we ... must not fall into that trap of being sub-human or super human ... We have been as good as any human being can be. And we have been as bad as any human being can be." She uses poetry, music and historical images to illustrate her argument, as well as a panel discussion which includes reflections from Karen Richardson, introduced as the daughter of Julian and Raye Richardson of the "Success Book Store" (now known as Marcus Bookstore). Also features views of Dr. Angelou visiting a store in San Francisco which stocks traditional African art, clothing and jewelry.
Episode 6 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio reflecting on how education has the power to transform or destroy the lives of African Americans and emphasizing the need for new approaches to teaching in "ghetto schools." She states: "The man who controls education controls the future, as well as the past." Also features views on location of: traditional and modern forms of education in Kenya; students at the Martin Luther King School in San Francisco being taught using James Brown material and singing songs in support of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton; an interview with Mrs Ines Andry and Welvin Stroud at the Martin Luther King School and lectures by Dr. Robert Edgren at Mills College and Leo Bazile at Cal State Hayward.
Episode 7 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio arguing that it's useless for African Americans to try and conform to white middle-class values, if they want to lead a productive and fulfilling life. She emphasizes how African Americans should instead be: "breaking new ground ... opening avenues in business, in ... coping with a capitalistic society." Also features views on location of Dr. Angelou interviewing Ralph Bradley at Arabesco Air, Everett Brandon at PACT (which helps with business start-ups) and James Treadgill of Jamaican Tours, who benefitted from PACT's services. Ends with a panel discussion featuring Zack Thompson, Ralph Bradley, Mrs Josephine Richardson and Lee Deamous, led by Dr. Angelou.
Episode 8 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio discussing "black art and black literature," with performances by Preston Webster (with Charles Hester), the Danny Duncan Dancers and students from the Martin Luther King School. Also features many views of sculptures and a visit with artists James Bircher, Ben Hazard and Claude Clark, on location at an art exhibition in Hayward.
Episode 9 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio reflecting on "violence in the black American world." She declares that: "I dedicate this program to the memory of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Denmark Vesey ... to Dr. DuBois ... to the men and women who are nameless ... whose blood, whose agony we inherit." Also features views of Dr. Angelou touring the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles with Mary Jane Hewitt, looking for evidence of "gains" and positive developments since the 1965 social uprising there, which she states: "represented a people, a race fighting for survival." Dr. Angelou screens still and moving images of violence committed by and against African Americans in the Twentieth Century throughout this episode and also part of a speech by Stokely Carmichael at a Black Panther rally in Oakland. Also includes scenes of Dr. Angelou, Danny Duncan and Mwanza Furaha acting out a scene from the novel 'Bird At My Window' by Rosa Guy (begins at 44:10), first published in 1966.
Episode 10 of a 10-part TV series made by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968 called Blacks, Blues, Black!, which examines the influence of African American culture on modern American society. Includes scenes of Dr. Angelou in the studio recapping on subjects covered in the previous nine episodes. Dr. Angelou also provides a selected reading list (which appears on-screen) of books she feels will assist viewers for their own personal research. Ends with Dr. Angelou reading Margaret Walker's poem 'For My People', first published in 1942. The final lines, read by Dr. Angelou with great passion, are as follows: "Let a beauty full of / healing and a strength of final clenching be the pulsing / in our spirits and our blood. Let the martial songs / be written, let the dirges disappear. Let a race of men now / rise and take control."