‘Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015’ Review: Landmark Docuseries Remains Essential Viewing in New HBO Chapter

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Back in 2021, Max premiered the new documentary Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground.

Regardless of its connection to a highly esteemed TV series, the show Hallowed Ground received little attention from critics.

OR:

In spite of being part of a renowned television franchise, the series Hallowed Ground was largely overlooked by critics.

OR:

Being an offshoot of a famous TV show, Hallowed Ground garnered minimal recognition from critics.

As of now, Sophia Nahli Allison’s movie hasn’t accumulated a sufficient number of reviews yet to calculate an average rating on platforms like Metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes.

I understand your point. HBO/Max didn’t publicize the documentary much and it wasn’t a typical sequel to Henry Hampton’s influential series about the Civil Rights Movement that originally aired in 1987 and 1990 on PBS. Instead, Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground was a thought-provoking 61-minute extension of the original series, exploring its impact and constraints. If you were expecting a continuation from where Eyes on the Prize II: America at the Racial Crossroads 1965-1985 ended, this wasn’t it.

I’m hoping for a more plentiful conversation about HBO’s “Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest (1977-2015)”.

Title “Eyes on the Prize III” implies it’s a follow-up to “Eyes on the Prize II,” as suggested by its name. This six-hour documentary delves into the post-Civil Rights Movement era, underscoring that the struggle continues, as many of the movement’s core issues remain unresolved. It is a moving, empowering, and indignant collection of scenes that looks back on history while also sparking discussions about our challenging contemporary situation.

The show may not be flawless, but it’s absolutely indispensable, occasionally leaving one with a sense of despair due to its urgent importance.

In “Hallowed Ground,” Allison argued that the television series “Eyes on the Prize” tended to view the Civil Rights Movement from a predominantly male and heterosexual perspective, providing limited groundwork for its later development into a more inclusive, intersectional movement.

In “Eyes on the Prize III”, the focus is squarely on evolution, with a unique twist: the first and final episodes emphasize women’s and queer perspectives in this ongoing struggle. Unlike the first two seasons, these episodes often feature lesser-known tales that may not have been widely publicized nationally. Since this series played a significant role in my early learning about the Civil Rights Movement, I can’t definitively say whether I knew these stories before or learned them because of the series, but it’s clear why they deserve the attention they receive here.

America, Don’t Turn A Blind Eye” – the initial episode out of six, airing across three nights on HBO, is divided into two short stories. The first story focuses on the Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association in the Bronx, where the idea of “sweat equity” was pioneered with a racial perspective; the second narrative centers around Bebashi, a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization that provided aid and empowered minority LGBTQ+ communities during the early stages of the AIDS crisis.

In keeping with previous seasons, the series highlights individuals who were directly involved in significant social and political events, such as Rashidah Abdul-Khabeer, founder of Bebashi, who shares her experiences during the AIDS crisis and explains how she, as a Black Muslim woman, managed to establish a presence amidst the crisis and gain acceptance and respect from others; and residents from Banana Kelly, a small Bronx neighborhood, who took it upon themselves to revitalize their community in the wake of the “Bronx Is Burning” crises of arson and poverty.

In both tales, Ronald Reagan serves as a prominent antagonist, yet the true battles are systemic and can often be underestimated at a national scale. These stories serve as testaments to grassroots organizing and small-scale triumphs, much like how previous Eyes on the Prize directors honored events that were more likely to have been chronicled in history books. Geeta Gandbhir handles these events with equal reverence.

The series concludes with “What Comes After Hope?” by Asako Gladsjo, an episode exploring how the Obama presidency, while significant, failed to meet some expectations due to its perceived resolution of racial struggles and equality issues for certain groups. This episode highlights young activists who, observing what could be labeled as a post-racial era by Fox News, responded with “We’re not done yet.” It illustrates the evolution of movements like Occupy Wall Street and protests following Trayvon Martin’s death, which paved the way for the rise of Black Lives Matter and other similar movements that continue the work started in the 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Movement. However, these modern movements prioritize women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community as their driving forces.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve found that these episodes embody the idea that simply because influential figures claim their tasks are complete, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are. They could function as practical guides, titled “How-to’s,” for rallying and coordinating efforts around issues affecting not only the Black community but also universal ones.

Blending familiar tales with ones that connect to broader storylines is crucial for the continuation of this series too.

These documentaries span a range of topics, from the scale and impact of events like the Million Man March to smaller, yet significant cases such as those focusing on environmental justice. “Spoil the Vine” offers insights into environmental racism, while “We Don’t See Color” delves into race in education through an examination of affirmative action at the University of Michigan. Similarly, “Trapped” explores racial issues within the criminal justice system, touching upon the L.A. Uprising-induced gang truce and the struggles faced by public defenders during the first Bush administration.

As I mentioned earlier, this series isn’t flawless. The “Trapped” segment focusing on public defenders exemplifies an earnest but awkward attempt to reveal how policies supposedly aimed at crime prevention unfairly target people of color, even in cities that seem to have significant representation from these communities in their government institutions. The “Million Man March” episode acknowledges various issues surrounding the event, such as Louis Farrakhan’s history of antisemitism and the exclusion of women, but tends to oversimplify or overlook the ambiguous or complex aspects, instead presenting a largely idealized picture of the event. “What Comes After Hope?” is undeniably impassioned, but it frequently rehashes familiar themes, reminding us that the documentary landscape has evolved significantly since 1987 and many of these stories have already been explored in PBS, HBO, and Netflix documentaries in recent years.

As a gamer, I find myself navigating through a complex political landscape where those on the right are pushing to abolish DEI, affirmative action, and critical race theory under the guise that the issues they were designed to address have been resolved. On the other hand, I see politicians on the left grappling with difficult decisions, weighing which marginalized groups may need to be sacrificed in an attempt to win over a hypothetical “mainstream” audience. It’s a challenging game, indeed.

In this context, it’s hard not to notice while watching Eyes on the Prize III that struggles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s seem very similar to the ones we face today. It underscores the importance of staying vigilant because if we don’t, every step forward achieved could potentially be reversed.

The series may inspire viewers on the left, those most likely to watch given our current polarized era. However, it also offers unbiased perspectives for viewers with conservative leanings, explaining why programs like affirmative action continue to matter and why the idea of environmental racism is not far-fetched.

For individuals on all fronts, “Eyes on the Prize III” serves as a warning that no matter how situations currently appear, a reaction or repercussion is imminent. As long as determined individuals remain focused on their goals, the nation won’t easily retreat and battles being fought today have deep roots in decades of activism and struggle. Keeping these facts in mind has arguably never been more crucial.

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2025-02-25 03:55