A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries—and path of promise toward the American dream—Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. They have been unapologetically Black for 150 years. For the first time ever, their story is told.
Direction
Nelson weaves 150 years into 85 minutes without breathlessness.
Editing
Archival footage choices that reframe who built America.
Director
Stanley Nelson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Nelson's trilogy on African American history—this, 'The Black Panthers,' and 'Freedom Riders'—rewrote documentary standards for centering Black voices without white translation.
The film was deliberately released during the Trump administration's threats to HBCU funding, making its archival optimism function as urgent contemporary argument.
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