Black Hollywood: They Gotta Have Us (2014)

The history of Black faces in film is presented in this miniseries by many who have spent their lives working in the industry. A fantastic companion to Donald Bogle’s Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks, it didn’t offer a lot that I hadn’t read about in that book but offered much deeper context through visuals and the voices of those who have experienced it. I had this on my Netflix list for a long time and I’m glad, and sad, that it’s impending removal pushed me to finally watch the series. There are some actors and directors, such as Sidney Poitier and Spike Lee, who I would have loved to see rather just heard talked about, but those that are featured offer quite a breadth in eras and knowledge. I would love to see the series expanded past these three episodes.