Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the medium's first half-century. Actors, writers and historians discuss the image of black America on television from Amos and Andy to the present day. The interviews accompany clips from groundbreaking shows and performances by entertainment pioneers that create a timeline of the portrayal of African Americans throughout TV history.
Credits
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years Cast
| Name |
Character |
|
Whoopi Goldberg
She was 48, now 69 years old
|
|
|
Patricia Belcher
She was 49, now 70 years old
|
|
|
Ruby Dee
She was 81, 91 years old when she died
|
|
|
Harry Belafonte
He was 76, now 97 years old
|
|
|
Lucille Ball
She was 92, 77 years old when she died
|
|
|
James Brown
He was 70, 73 years old when he died
|
|
|
Arsenio Hall
He was 47, now 68 years old
|
|
|
Diahann Carroll
She was 68, 84 years old when she died
|
|
|
Bill Cosby
He was 66, now 87 years old
|
|
|
Ray Charles
He was 73, 73 years old when he died
|
|
|
Lena Horne
She was 86, 92 years old when she died
|
|
|
Marvin Gaye
He was 64, 44 years old when he died
|
|
|
Sammy Davis, Jr.
He was 78, 64 years old when he died
|
as (archive footage) |
|
Pearl Bailey
She was 85, 72 years old when she died
|
|
|
John Amos
He was 64, now 84 years old
|
|
|
Obba Babatundé
He was 52, now 73 years old
|
|
|
Cab Calloway
He was 96, 86 years old when he died
|
|
|
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
He was 98, 71 years old when he died
|
|
|
Redd Foxx
He was 81, 68 years old when he died
|
|
|
Desi Arnaz
He was 86, 69 years old when he died
|
|
|
Willie Best
He was 87, 45 years old when he died
|
|
|
Jonelle Allen
She was 59, now 80 years old
|
|
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years Crew
