Reverend S. S. Jones - Home Movies [1924-1928]

Reverend Solomon Sir Jones documented African-American life, culture, and success in Oklahoma a few years after the Tulsa Race Riots. His films demonstrate the nuance and diversity of the Black community during the period. His camera captures children, deacons, young professionals, homemakers, businessmen, community leaders, landowners, field workers, students, and neighbors. Some of his subjects included formerly enslaved men and women and their descendants who built these thriving towns. Together, these communities worked, worshiped, played celebrated, loved and mourned together. Jones takes considerable care to illustrate how they built something special - self-sustaining and self-determined societies.

-Mary N. Elliot, Museum Specialist at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture

This film was restored by Kino Lorber which was archived in the Library of Congress and released in a 5 disc box set: Pioneers of African American Cinema.