The Selma marches and the Watts riots mark a new phase in the struggle for black equality and a turning point in American history.
Bursts of white backlash emerge, while paths diverge for African Americans in the 1970s and early 1980s. Twice as many African Americans graduate from college and Jesse Jackson becomes the first black presidential candidate.
Superstars like Oprah Winfrey usher in a new era among African Americans in the 1980s. Rodney King is beaten by Los Angeles police, leading to violent riots in 1992.
The first African-American president is elected in 2008, but the issue of racism is still prevalent. From the response to Hurricane Katrina, to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Henry Louis Gates
Narrator
Host
Rachel Dretzin
Producer
Dalton Delan
