Project Description

The public television project Eyes on the Prize I: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965 and its sequel, Eyes on the Prize II: America at the Racial Crossroads 1965-1985, were produced by Blackside, Inc. of Boston and first received national public television broadcast in 1987 and 1990 respectively. Both series have received numerous awards for their comprehensive and compelling portrayal of the civil rights movement and issues of race in the United States over three decades. During the first-year run alone, Blackside estimates over 20 million people watched each series.

In addition to broadcast, educational and outreach efforts have extended the impact of Eyes on the Prize. The series have been made available to high schools and colleges for purchase in videotape form with accompanying teaching materials, including Viewers Guide designed to help teachers facilitate discussions. In conjunction with Eyes II, Hope and History: Why We Must Share the Story of the Movement, and other print materials were developed as tools for community-based screenings and discussions.

Civic Engagement/Dialogue Activities

Eyes on the Prize I—An evaluation conducted by American Social History Productions of the impact of Eyes on the Prize I in high schools and colleges confirmed its power as a teaching tool. Beyond teaching materials provided by Blackside, teachers employed diverse teaching strategies with the video, attributed to the adaptability of such a high quality series. Teachers invariably used Eyes as an active tool to deepen students' understanding of difficult emotional and moral issues, rather than simply as a passive supplier of information that could not be covered in lectures or textbooks. The series was able to engage the interests and concerns of students and was particularly effective in helping them confront philosophical and moral issues such as racism and equality.

Eyes on the Prize II—Pre-broadcast grassroots as well as national promotion generated substantial interest in Eyes II. Series producers and staff participated in a number of special events developed by colleges, public television stations, religious leaders, and community groups in conjunction with the broadcast to promote dialogue about civil rights and American democracy. Post-broadcast programs were developed in schools, museums, film festivals, and colleges, many of which hosted panels or facilitated discussions. Facing History and Ourselves, a national organization that engages students in an examination of racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism, created a curriculum focusing on American democracy using segments from both Eyes I and II. In addition, more than 25,000 Viewers Guides were mailed to educational, religious, and community organizations, libraries, and public television stations.

Project Summary

Information Sources
Final Report on Eyes on the Prize II (report to the Ford Foundation), Blackside, Inc., 1989. Brier, Stephen and Kimberly Kinsler. Watching Eyes: An evaluation of the educational impact of "Eyes on the Prize." (report to the Ford Foundation), 1990.