Oscar Micheaux

Oscar Micheaux, the United States’ first prominent Black filmmaker, directed and produced 44 films throughout his career. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Micheaux depicted contemporary Black life and complex characters in his films, countering the negative on-screen portrayal of Blacks at the time.

Depicting realistic relationships between Black and white people, the film gained praise from critics, one of them calling it a “historic breakthrough, a creditable, dignified achievement.” Micheaux followed up his successful production with his second film, Within Our Gates (1920), which sought to challenge the heavy-handed racist stereotypes shown in D.W. Griffith’s film The Birth of a Nation.

Micheaux used his films, the first by a Black American to be shown in white movie theaters, to portray racial injustice suffered by Black Americans, delving into topics such as lynching, job discrimination, and mob violence. Given the restrictions of the time, Micheaux’s prolific career was nothing short of groundbreaking.

To find out more about this pioneering artist and storyteller, please follow the link below.
About Oscar Micheaux – NAACP.org
Oscar Micheaux, Mini Bio – IMDB.com