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Director
Stanley Nelson
- Born July 7, 1955 in New York City, New York, USA
Stanley Earl Nelson Jr. (born June 7, 1951) is an American documentary filmmaker and a MacArthur Fellow known as a director, writer and producer of documentaries examining African-American history and experiences. He is a recipient of the 2013 National Humanities Medal from President Obama. He has won three Primetime Emmy Awards.
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Among his notable films are Freedom Riders (2010), Wounded Knee (2009), Jonestown: The Life & Death of People's Temple (2006), Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice (2005), A Place of Our Own (2004), The Murder of Emmett Till (2003), and The Black Press: Soldiers without Swords (1998).
Known for
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple2006
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool2019
Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy2021
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution2015
30 for 302009
American Experience1988
Attica2021
We Want the Funk!2025
Filmography
- 2026American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis ValdezFilmExecutive Producer
- 2026The Color of ColaFilmDirector, Executive Producer
- 2025We Want the Funk!FilmDirector, Author
- 2025Sun Ra: Do the ImpossibleFilmExecutive Producer
- 2025True North: Canadian Myths and Black PowerFilmExecutive Producer
- 2025Critical Condition: Health in Black AmericaFilmDirector
- 2025Free for All: The Public LibraryFilmExecutive Producer
- 2025The InquisitorFilmExecutive Producer
- 2025Becoming Thurgood: America's Social ArchitectFilmExecutive Producer
- 2025Lani B. Supreme: LegacyFilmExecutive Producer
- 2025Cindy Tran: From Here to HereFilmExecutive Producer
- 2024Disco's RevengeFilmExecutive Producer
- 2024Hollywood BlackSeriesSelf
- 2024San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost NeighborhoodFilmDirector
- 2024Sister Úna Lived a Good DeathFilmExecutive Producer
- 2023Sound of the PoliceFilmProducer, Director
- 2023Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary GaffneyFilmExecutive Producer
- 2023Bulls and SaintsFilmExecutive Producer
- 2023Jonathan Thunder: Good MythologyFilmExecutive Producer
- 2023Sydney G. James: How We See UsFilmExecutive Producer
- 2022Becoming Frederick DouglassFilmDirector, Producer, Executive Producer
- 2022After JackieFilmProducer
- 2022HazingFilmExecutive Producer
- 2021Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & ConspiracyFilmDirector
- 2021AtticaFilmDirector, Writer, Producer
- 2021Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race MassacreFilmDirector
- 2021Harriet Tubman: Visions of FreedomFilmDirector
- 2021Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great DayFilmExecutive Producer
- 2020VickFilmDirector
- 2020Black PanthersSeriesDirector
- 2019Miles Davis: Birth of the CoolFilmDirector, Producer
- 2019BOSS: The Black Experience in BusinessFilmProducer, Director
- 2018The Story of AccessFilmDirector
- 2018Black MemorabiliaFilmScript Supervisor
- 2017Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and UniversitiesFilmDirector, Screenplay, Producer
- 2017Gavin Grimm vs.FilmExecutive Producer
- 2017American CarnageFilmExecutive Producer
- 2017Picket LineFilmExecutive Producer
- 2015The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the RevolutionFilmDirector, Producer, Writer
- 2015Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the BandFilmExecutive Producer
- 2014Freedom SummerFilmWriter, Director
- 2012Jesse OwensFilmWriter, Producer
- 2012Focus Forward: Short Films, Big IdeasFilmDirector
- 2010Freedom RidersFilmWriter, Director, Producer
- 200930 for 30SeriesDirector
- 2009We Shall RemainSeriesDirector
- 2008Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New OrleansFilmExecutive Producer
- 2006Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples TempleFilmDirector
- 2004A Place of Our OwnFilmSelf - Narrator (voice), Writer, Director, Producer
- 2004Beyond Brown: Pursuing the PromiseFilmDirector
- 2003The Murder of Emmett TillFilmDirector
- 2001Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the WhirlwindFilmDirector
- 1999The Black Press: Soldiers Without SwordsFilmProducer, Director, Writer
- 1996The Daily ShowSeriesSelf
- 1988American ExperienceSeriesWriter, Producer
- 1987Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. WalkerFilmDirector, Editor, Producer, Researcher
- 1985Frederick Douglass: An American LifeFilmSound Recordist
- 1981Puerto Rico: Our Right to DecideFilmWriter
- 1976Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)FilmSound, Assistant Editor