Overview: The HBO Original six-part documentary series EYES ON THE PRIZE III: WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CANNOT REST 1977-2015, executive produced by Dawn Porter, debuted TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 (9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO with two episodes airing back-to-back. Episodes three and four debuted the following day on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, followed by episodes five and six on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27. The work in its entirety is available to stream on Max.
Inspired by Henry Hampton’s legendary documentary series “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement,” this new installment of the groundbreaking 1987 series illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equity and racial justice in the years since the birth of the American civil rights movement. This new chapter of the iconic series begins in the late 1970s and continues into 2015, with episodes examining the strategies of those who fought for racial equality across multiple decades.
Expectations: Six hours seems a bit daunting. Not many will invest that amount of time. It is a daunting task to immerse oneself in any subject, let alone the Civil Rights Movement. That is not because it is not an issue worth the scrutiny; it is just quite a bit of ground to cover, and truthfully, not being a black person, it is not anything that I live with. It is important as a society to understand its relevance, to respect its necessity, and to promote its agenda, but it is still a long slog to get through its history.
I understand that different filmmakers generated the content, and knowledgeable people on the matter gave great insight. So it must be tolerable, I just need to take it one hour at a time. It’s going to take me a while, but here goes.
Gut Reaction: I break it down episode by episode, beginning with –
– Episode 1: “America, Don’t Look Away 1977-1988.” It chronicles community activists in New York’s South Bronx and Philadelphia fighting for fair housing and healthcare at the tail end of the Carter administration and through the rise of Reaganomics and the AIDS crisis. It clearly explains the struggles of this period, especially the fair housing scams that were prevalent.
– Episode 2: “Trapped: 1989-1995” It documents the criminal justice system profiling public defenders in Washington D.C., and local organizers in South Central Los Angeles who sound the alarm about institutional structures and policies that disproportionately affect the Black community. It seems that every facet of life for the Black community is getting scrutinized.
– Episode 3: “Million Man March 1995” It chronicles the controversy and community inspired by the 1995 Million Man March in Washington, D.C. that came to be a transformative experience for many of the men who traveled in from around the nation to participate. Truthfully, I only remembered the positivity of this massive event on the National Mall. I did not retain the fact that the Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan was an organizer & keynote speaker, and of the controversy surrounding the event.
– Episode 4: “Spoil The Vine 1982-2011” Episode four explores the growing environmental justice movement as local activists in West Virginia and Florida fight threats to their communities’ health and survival. Yes, even though there are continuous social & political concerns for the Black community, the community fought on the environmental issues as well. Those issues held just as strong a conversation as anything.
– Episode 5: “We Don’t See Color 1996-2013” This one explores the complexities of affirmative action policies and how a changing demographic landscape affected school desegregation in new ways. I wondered when this topic was going to be broached. It was a discussion worth having for the community and a necessary topic to address here.
– Episode 6: “What Comes After Hope? 2008-2015” The final episode chronicles the years of America’s first Black president, when, despite hope for significant societal change, police brutality soared and a new movement under the banner #BlackLivesMatter emerged. Just when you thought progress was made that might ease tensions and concerns, agita still prevails, and so it goes. Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founders Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors are a part of the conversation.
Conclusion: This documentary series proves what we have always known about history. It proves that for every accomplishment achieved, a few steps backwards always follow, but despite that, you’ve got to keep your eye on the prize, you’ve got to keep moving forward, no matter how small a step you take. EYES ON THE PRIZE proves that the Black community is staying on that task. This topic might not interest everyone just because of its length, but it is insightful and inspiring.
