I’ll Make Me a World: A Century of African-American Arts

An exuberant and inspiring look at a century of African-American arts, I’ll Make Me a World is another remarkable contribution by the late Henry Hampton, with co-executive producer Sam Pollard. Mr. Hampton, who died in 1998, was the creative force behind Eyes on the Prize and Eyes on the Prize II, the definitive chronicle of the American Civil Rights Movement, which received Peabody Awards in 1987 and 1990. This newer work celebrates the extraordinary achievements of 20th century African-American writers, dancers, painters, actors, musicians and other artists. Six episodes engage viewers in compelling stories of struggle and creativity, featuring the sounds of jazz, blues, soul and rap that the world identifies as America’s music, poetry and fiction that challenge ideas of race and ideals of democracy, images that capture our conflicts and our common ties, and dance, theatrical performances and movies that have thrilled and inspired a century of audiences. Mr. Hampton and Mr. Pollard, along with series producer Terry Kay Rockefeller, producers Tracy Heather Strain, Betty Ciccarelli and Denise A. Greene, and writer Sheila Curran Bernard have woven a rich tapestry of sight and sounds from the work of black artists whose distinctive talents shaped American culture in the 20th century. For so doing, a Peabody goes to Blackside, Inc., for I’ll Make Me a World: A Century of African-American Arts.