Birth of a Movement

The Battle Against America's First Blockbuster

In 1915, Boston-based African American newspaper editor and activist William M. Trotter waged a battle against D.W. Griffith’s technically groundbreaking but notoriously Ku Klux Klan-friendly The Birth of a Nation, unleashing a fight that still rages today about race relations, media representation, and the power and influence of Hollywood. Birth of a Movement, based on Dick Lehr's book The Birth of a Movement: How Birth of a Nation Ignited the Battle for Civil Rights, captures the backdrop to this prescient clash between human rights, freedom of speech, and a changing media landscape.

Cast

Danny Glover

Narrator (voice)

Spike Lee

Self

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Self

Reginald Hudlin

Self

Crew

Kwyn Bader

Writer

Dick Lehr

Writer

Bestor Cram

Director

Susan Gray

Director

Clips & Videos

Independent Lens | Birth of a Movement | Trailer | PBS