Donald Bogle

This 1985 documentary based on Film Historian Donald Bogles’ book “Brown Sugar”. Billy Dee Williams hosts with many rare film clips, photographs, recordings, and interviews with stars of the past to to trace their lives and careers of America’s black female performer.

The epic story of the actors, writers, directors, and producers who fought for their place on the page, behind the camera and on the screen. From blackface to Black Panther, this series is a definitive chronicle of more than a century of the black experience in Hollywood and a powerful reexamination of a quintessentially American story – in brilliant color.

Journey through the history of black representation on television, showcasing how black artists and creators both shaped and revolutionized the medium while confronting the systemic challenges that have often undermined their contributions.