The story of Black Americans is, in many ways, the story of America itself. Though the African American experience has long been relegated to the margins of the big screen, a vital cinematic legacy endures thanks to the work of pioneers like Oscar Micheaux (WITHIN OUR GATES), Charles Burnett (KILLER OF SHEEP), Jessie Maple (WILL), Madeline Anderson (I AM SOMEBODY), and Kathleen Collins (LOSING GROUND), as well as bracing contemporary voices like Adepero Oduye (TO BE FREE). Their stories of revolution, resistance, creativity, community, and everyday endurance offer a multifaceted vision of Black American identity across generations.