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Stanley Nelson (b. 1955)

Alias:
Stanley Nelson Jr.

Birthplace:
New York City, New York, USA

Born:
July 7, 1955

Biography from TheMovieDB

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.  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).

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Additional information:

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Film Performances

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Film Production

Assistant Editor:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)

Director:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2023  Sound of the Police

Editor:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2023  Sound of the Police

Executive Producer:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

Producer:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2012  Jesse Owens
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  After Jackie
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

Researcher:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2012  Jesse Owens
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  After Jackie
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

Screenplay:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2012  Jesse Owens
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  After Jackie
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

Script Supervisor:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2012  Jesse Owens
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  Black Memorabilia
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  After Jackie
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

Sound:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2012  Jesse Owens
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  Black Memorabilia
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  After Jackie
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

Sound Recordist:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1985  Frederick Douglass: An American Life
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2012  Jesse Owens
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  Black Memorabilia
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  After Jackie
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

Writer:
1976  Just Doin’ It (A Tale of Two Barbershops)
1981  Puerto Rico: Our Right to Decide
1985  Frederick Douglass: An American Life
1987  Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker
1999  The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
2001  Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
2003  The Murder of Emmett Till
2004  A Place of Our Own
2004  Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
2006  Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2010  Freedom Riders
2012  Jesse Owens
2014  Freedom Summer
2015  Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
2015  The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
2017  American Carnage
2017  Gavin Grimm vs.
2017  Picket Line
2017  Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
2018  Black Memorabilia
2018  The Story of Access
2019  BOSS: The Black Experience in Business
2019  Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2020  Vick
2021  Attica
2021  Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy
2021  Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2021  Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021  Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre
2022  After Jackie
2022  Becoming Frederick Douglass
2022  Hazing
2023  Birthing a Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney
2023  Bulls and Saints
2023  Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology
2023  Sound of the Police
2023  Sydney G. James: How We See Us
2024  Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
????  Free for ALL: Inside the Public Library

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TV Performances

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TV Production

Director:
2009  30 for 30
2009  We Shall Remain
2020  Black Panthers

Producer:
1988  American Experience
2009  30 for 30
2009  We Shall Remain
2020  Black Panthers

Writer:
1988  American Experience
2009  30 for 30
2009  We Shall Remain
2020  Black Panthers

Click the heading above to show or hide the list.

About the Movie Section

Most data and links to images for the Movies section come from TheMovieDB (TMDB).

Additional data for Film Titles come from The Open Movie Database (OMDb).

At least one plug-in comes from IMDb.

Data are -- hey, it's a plural -- subject to the limitations of their sources. (For example, TMDB search results currently max out at 20.) I am limiting myself to free data sources for now. (No, a "free trial" is not free.)

While much of the above data are retrieved directly from outside APIs and other such sources, data from American Film Institute (AFI) and British Film Institute (BFI) were manually entered the old fashioned way into a MySQL database. Re BFI I took the following liberties:

  • I added "runners up" to Top 10 lists, treating them as ties where applicable and numbering them accordingly at the bottom of each list.
  • Regarding those polls wherein "franchise" movies were submitted as one project until BFI's policy changed to regard them separately, I treated them as ties and renumbered the affected lists accordingly (e.g. the Godfather films).

Regarding profile removals and data corrections:

  • If you would like your profile removed from this site, please contact the source of this data directly, TheMovieDB. My assumption is: once it's gone from their site, it should soon be gone from this site.
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  • For additional corrections and profile removals, please e-mail The Open Movie Database (OMDb).

Filtering is applied here to film projects flagged as "adult" by TheMovieDB. Pending "popular demand" I am contemplating a login and profile system with preferences (such as whether to allow adult images to appear) and permissions (such as data entry).

Whereas the overall purpose of this website is to serve as a personal demo/portfolio/workshop of web and data skills, this Movies section is not meant to compete with or substitute for far more definitive movie websites.

Whether or not he still clings to an award which he won in 1986 as a film critic for his college's newspaper, Jeffrey Hartmann is not responsible for the texts of overviews and biographies supplied by external data sources.