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• Trailer, 2 photo(s)

Year of production : 2016

Director(s) : Deborah RILEY DRAPER
Cast : Isiah THOMAS, Andrew YOUNG, Carl LEWIS, Blair UNDERWOOD

Producer(s) : Deborah DRAPER (Coffee Bluff PIctures)

Narrated by veteran Hollywood actor Blair Underwood and written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice chronicles a seminal moment in American history. The 2017 NAACP Image Awards nominee and Oscar-qualified film follows 18 African-American Olympians who defy Jim Crow segregation and Nazi racism to win hearts and medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. History remembers the accomplishments of only one of them - Jesse Owens. This is the story of the other 17.

The 16 black men and 2 black women courageously reverse stereotypes and show the world their athleticism and humanity. They create a springboard for the modern American civil rights movement and accelerate the desegregation of college and professional sports. This complicated, triumphant but unheralded story is a vital part of contemporary social justice discourse.

The 1936 Olympics is a well-documented event, and yet little has been told about these brave athletes and their historical journey. Using newsreels, propaganda films, photographs and personal interviews with historians, family members as well as Ambassador Andrew Young, Carl Lewis, Isiah Thomas, Anita DeFrantz, and rarely seen footage, the film brings the excitement, tension, and political importance of this notorious moment to screen through the eyes of 1930s black athletes. The confluence of race, sports and bias are as relevant today as it was 80 years ago. On September 29, 2016, President Barack Obama recognized these athletes and their families at The White House for their contributions to America due to the efforts of this film.