An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

television series

From Amos 'n' Andy to Nat King Cole, from Roots to The Cosby Show, black people have played many roles on primetime television. Brilliantly weaving clips from classic TV shows with commentary from TV producers, black actors and scholars, Marlon Riggs blends humor, insight, and thoughtful analysis to explore the evolution of black/white relations as reflected by America's favorite addiction.

Finding Your Roots is a ten-part Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) public television series hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates. The series originally aired March 25 – May 20, 2012 from 8–9 p.m. EDT.
The series uses traditional genealogical research and genetics to find the family history of 25 Americans. Genetic techniques include Y-chromosome DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and autosomal DNA analyses to infer both ancient and recent genetic relationships.
Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr. (aired March 25, 2012)
John Lewis and Cory Booker (aired March 25, 2012)
Barbara Walters and Geoffrey Canada (aired April 1, 2012)
Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon (aired April 8, 2012)
Angela Warnick Buchdahl, Yasir Qadhi, and Rick Warren (aired April 15, 2012)
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey, Jr. (aired April 22, 2012)
Samuel L. Jackson, Condoleezza Rice and Ruth Simmons (aired April 29, 2012)
Sanjay Gupta, Margaret Cho and Martha Stewart (aired May 6, 2012)
John Legend, Wanda Sykes and Margarett Cooper (aired May 13, 2012)
Michelle Rodriguez, Adrian Grenier and Linda Chavez (aired May 20, 2012)

The timely biopic focuses on John Lewis’ longstanding prominence as a civil rights champion and his continuing crusade for racial and social equality. The documentary illuminates the 80-year-old Congressman’s life as it chronicles the moments on the extraordinary journey that have shaped his place in history and make him such a galvanizing figure today as protests circle the globe. Lewis’ schedule has increased ten-fold as he has become the go-to figure for TV news shows, podcasts and newspapers and magazines from the Washington Post to Vanity Fair, commenting on and leading the way forward through today’s worldwide protests and demonstrations.