Eyes on the Prize - Awakenings (1954-1956) [Part 1 of 14] (1987)

Starring:

• Ralph Abernathy
• Unita Blackwell
• Julian Bond

IMDB.com
"Eyes on the Prize" is an exceptional series--mostly because instead of the typical hour or half hour documentary, it's VERY thorough and very detailed---covering not just an event but the civil rights movement from 1954 through 1965--and a LOT happened during that time. This isn't surprising, as PBS has made tons of interesting and well-crafted documentaries over the years.

This first episode gives a very brief overview of the pervasiveness of lynchings and other mistreatment of Blacks in America. Then, most of the episode centers on two important events in the mid-1950s--the Emmett Till murder trial and the incident when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus--thus leading to the Montgomery bus boycott and the beginning of Martin Luther King's career as a civil rights leader. My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is that life for Blacks in America prior to the 50s is really not mentioned very much--and it seemed like they went through this a bit too quickly. Still, it was an otherwise excellent show--and well worth seeing.

Transcript of the documentary: PSB.org

Miracle in Harlem (1948)

Starring:

• Sheila Guyse
• Stepin Fetchit
• Hilda Offley
• Kenneth Freeman 

Storyline
Julie Weston and her aunt, Hattie, own and operate a candy-store in Harlem. A wealthy business man, Albert Marshall, and his wayward son, Jim Marshall, swindle the women out of the store. Later, Albert Marshall is found murdered, and there are several suspects, including Marshall's secretary and a blackmailer.

Available at archive.org

Hav Plenty (1997)

Starring:

• Christopher Scott Cherot
• Chenoa Maxwell
• Tammi Katherine Jones
• Robinne Lee
• Hill Harper
• Reginald James
• Kim Harris
• Betty Vaughn
• Margie St. Juste
• Chuck Baron
• Michelle Turner

Storyline
For struggling novelist Lee Plenty, the only thing sorrier than his writing career is his love life. That is, until Lee's old college friend, Havilland, invites him to her home to celebrate New Year's Eve. Before long, Lee finds himself surrounded by three gorgeous women: Havilland, her uninhibited best friend, and her affection-starved sister. It looks like Lee's in for a weekend filled with plenty of laughter, love and surprises.