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Blackside, Inc., develops and produces films, books, and educational materials that address America's most critical issues – leadership, the nature of democracy, freedom of expression, and the mechanisms of social change.

Founded in 1968 by Henry Hampton, Blackside is one of the most successful independent documentary film companies in the country. As a minority-owned production house, it has served as a fertile training ground for over 200 minority producers, technicians, and researchers.

Film Production

Since 1968, Blackside has produced more than 50 commercial, industrial, and educational programs. The company enjoys a first-tier reputation for intelligent, engaging, well-crafted productions which attract a wide and diverse audience. Blackside's films have earned international acclaim, and have been broadcast in over a dozen countries.

Blackside is best known for EYES ON THE PRIZE, an Emmy award-winning documentary series chronicling the American civil rights movement. Broadcast nationally during primetime on PBS, the 14-hour series attracted over 40 million viewers and remains one of television's most highly acclaimed programs. THE GREAT DEPRESSION, which premiered on PBS in 1993, also drew raves. The Los Angeles Times called the seven-hour series "a gift to viewers"; Time magazine named it one of the top three television programs of the year. And USA Today described AMERICA'S WAR ON POVERTY as "...five trenchant hours of social history."

"Looking at these extraordinary images, listening to this amazing range of voices...we actually hear America singing." 
New York Magazine on THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Publishing and New Media

Working with writers and scholars of national reputation, Blackside produces companion volumes, educational books, and other materials in conjunction with its major film efforts.

MAJOR HONORS FOR BLACKSIDE FILMS

DuPont-Columbia Gold and Silver Batons • George Foster Peabody Award • Seven Emmys • Academy Award nomination • National Association of Black Journalists Award of Excellence • American Film and Video Festival "Best of Festival" • International Documentary Association Award • Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo • National Educational Film Festival Gold Apple and "Best of Festival" • San Francisco International Film Festival "Best of Category" • Organization of American Historians Eric Barnouw Award • Television Critics Association "Best Program" • CINE Golden Eagle • Houston International Film Festival Grand, Gold and Silver • National Education Association

The publishing staff oversees the development, editing, and production process for a variety of print projects. Major publishing houses, including Viking/Penguin, Little, Brown, and Bantam, have published Blackside's books. Through the publishing department's work, Blackside is also gaining recognition as a leader among independent producers in the use of documentary films in the new media, including enhanced videodiscs and CD-ROMs.

Education and Outreach

Blackside is strongly committed to the post-broadcast life of its films. EYES ON THE PRIZE is currently being used in over half of all the four-year colleges in the U.S., and recent partnerships with PepsiCo, Toyota, and HBO have brought the series into over 25,000 secondary schools across the country.

Blackside develops educational materials and programs to engage viewers in thought and dialogue about critical periods in American history. These efforts include a national teacher training program to help educators use EYES ON THE PRIZE more effectively in the classroom, and a community grants program built around AMERICA'S WAR ON POVERTY through which the broadcast supported anti-poverty initiatives.

"Teachers, without exception, thought that EYES ON THE PRIZE was the single best video history series of its type."

Ford Foundation report on EYES ON THE PRIZE

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