Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1985

Film. Produced by Henry Hampton. Blackside. 1987.
Comprehensive documentary history of the Civil Rights Movement.

Eyes on the Prize is an award-winning 14-hour television series produced by Blackside and narrated by Julian Bond. Through contemporary interviews and historical footage, the series covers all of the major events of the civil rights movement from 1954-1985.

Series topics range from the murder of Emmett Till and the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the 1965 Voting Rights Act; from community power in schools to “Black Power” in the streets. There is a segment on the Nashsville sit-ins.

The series won six Emmys and numerous other awards, including an Academy Award nomination, the George Foster Peabody Award, and the top duPont-Columbia award for excellence in broadcast journalism.

Eyes on the Prize was created and executive produced by Henry Hampton (1940-1998), one of the most influential documentary filmmakers in the 20th century. Blackside, the independent film and television company he founded in 1968, completed 60 major films and media projects. His enduring legacy continues to influence the field in the 21st century. [Description from PBS website.]

Detailed description of the segments and contents.

Film website on PBS American Experience.