The American Negro (unfinished, reel 4, 1962)

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Discusses the significant progress made in education for African Americans, focusing on the events in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 when Black students faced violence while trying to integrate an all-white school. President Eisenhower intervened by sending federal troops to protect the students’ rights, highlighting the federal government’s commitment to upholding civil rights. The narrative emphasizes the gradual progress of school integration, despite ongoing resistance, with a mention of James Meredith’s enrollment at the University of Mississippi in 1962, which mirrored the Little Rock events.

This unfinished civil rights-era film details how segregation affects the daily lives of African Americans, and includes portions of interviews with James Farmer, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and Ralph Metcalfe. Farmer, Wilkins, and Young were considered to be among the “Big Four” leaders in the U.S. civil rights movement, along with Martin Luther King, Jr. The film also describes the strides and challenges faced by African Americans in the areas of voting, housing, and education. The film was written by Louis Lomax, produced by Willard Van Dyke, directed by Graeme Ferguson, and narrated by Charles Gordone.

Keywords
education, integration, civil rights, Little Rock, federal troops, violence, segregation, James Meredith, University of Mississippi, President Eisenhower