Oscar Brown Jr.

Oscar Brown Jr. amassed quite an impressive career in which he was by turns poet, playwright, singer, jazz musician, TV presenter, radio host and political activist throughout his remarkable life. But by the time he died in 2005, at 78, he was broke and forgotten. With a mix of archival footage, music, interviews and animation, Donnie L. Betts' labor-of-love documentary portrays Brown as a lyrical genius whose work never received its due because of his outspoken Black Power politics.

The Rebels rule the streets of Gary, Indiana. They shoot storekeeper Marvin Bookman for giving the police information about a drive-by shooting they committed. Marvin’s son, former NFL star and Rebel founder John returns to be with his father and, with a little help from some friends, to destroy the gang his way.

A celebration of the life of Zora Neale Hurston, who was born at the turn of the 20th Century and grew to be an important voice with her written portrayals of Black American life in the rural south of the 1930's and 40's, and the stories, songs and folklore that were her heritage and inspiration.

A black teen from a Chicago housing project struggles to find acceptance after he transfers into a suburban high school.

A pilot for an unsold NBC series. A single woman with three children realizes that her family has lost sight of their values and gives up her career as a daytime-drama actress in New York to move back with her extended family on their Texas farm.

Richie Bloom, the only white kid on the block, forms an R&B band with his best friend, Kevin. With the help of their mentor, aging sax legend Percy, they pull together a funky supergroup. Despite few resources and heavy losses this resilient group of dedicated musicians, armed only with wit, sleight of hand and outrageous Chicago bravado must come together to finally make their smash debut.

An animation (long before there were such things) for Oscar Brown Jr’s track “But I Was Cool”, from his 1961 debut album Sin & Soul. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.

A documentary that looks at the obstacles African-American males face when building a career. As the narrator states, "this film is about his chances, about the changes that have been made and the problems still remaining." The film includes interviews with men who are "making it," or who are some of the first African Americans in their field.