Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities

From the days of slavery, education for African Americans in this country has been poor or nonexistent. Whites feared the consequences if blacks were educated. This documentary, originally produced for PBS's Independent Lens, covers the history of black education over 150 years, focusing on the establishment of black colleges and universities (HBCU). This is a history of adversity, dedication, and success and equates black success with the establishment of HBCU and their influence on politics, law, culture, and arts among African Americans. Major black figures from each important period are covered (among them Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Common). In this stunning history, struggle paves the way for survival. Eventually these HBCU helped students realize their own hopes and dreams and comprehend how those aspirations were as important as the dreams of anyone else.