Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Encyclopedia
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary
by filmmaker Ken Burns
based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward (2004).
The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts on January 17 and January 18, 2005. In Burns' signature style the 220-minute film serves as a biography
of Jack Johnson
, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, as well as a documentary of racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow
era against which Jack Johnson lived in defiant opposition. The film is narrated by Keith David
and features a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis
and Samuel L. Jackson
as the voice of Jack Johnson.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary
by filmmaker Ken Burns
based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward (2004).
The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts on January 17 and January 18, 2005. In Burns' signature style the 220-minute film serves as a biography
of Jack Johnson
, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, as well as a documentary of racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow
era against which Jack Johnson lived in defiant opposition. The film is narrated by Keith David
and features a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis
and Samuel L. Jackson
as the voice of Jack Johnson.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary
by filmmaker Ken Burns
based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward (2004).
The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts on January 17 and January 18, 2005. In Burns' signature style the 220-minute film serves as a biography
of Jack Johnson
, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, as well as a documentary of racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow
era against which Jack Johnson lived in defiant opposition. The film is narrated by Keith David
and features a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis
and Samuel L. Jackson
as the voice of Jack Johnson.About time: Volumes 32-34. 2004, page 12. Alan Rickman
also contributed his voice to the documentary.
In 2005, the film earned Burns an Emmy Award
for Directing for Non-Fiction Programming. David won an Emmy for Best Voice Over Performance.
The film was produced by David Schaye, Paul Barnes and Ken Burns (Executive Producer) for Florentine Flims.
, Howard Sackler's 1967 dramatization of Jack Johnson's life.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by filmmaker Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward (2004).
The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts on January 17 and January 18, 2005. In Burns' signature style the 220-minute film serves as a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, as well as a documentary of racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
era against which Jack Johnson lived in defiant opposition. The film is narrated by Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
and features a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
and Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
as the voice of Jack Johnson.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by filmmaker Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward (2004).
The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts on January 17 and January 18, 2005. In Burns' signature style the 220-minute film serves as a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, as well as a documentary of racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
era against which Jack Johnson lived in defiant opposition. The film is narrated by Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
and features a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
and Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
as the voice of Jack Johnson.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by filmmaker Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward (2004).
The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts on January 17 and January 18, 2005. In Burns' signature style the 220-minute film serves as a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, as well as a documentary of racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
era against which Jack Johnson lived in defiant opposition. The film is narrated by Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
and features a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
and Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
as the voice of Jack Johnson.About time: Volumes 32-34. 2004, page 12. Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
also contributed his voice to the documentary.
In 2005, the film earned Burns an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Directing for Non-Fiction Programming. David won an Emmy for Best Voice Over Performance.
The film was produced by David Schaye, Paul Barnes and Ken Burns (Executive Producer) for Florentine Flims.
See also
The Great White HopeThe Great White Hope
The Great White Hope is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name. The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on October 3, 1968 for a run of 546 performances, directed by Edwin Sherin...
, Howard Sackler's 1967 dramatization of Jack Johnson's life.