AllMovie

The first of two video collections that focus on the successes of black Americans, this 12-tape set features 12 individuals who defied all odds to become famous, admired, or accomplished in their chosen field. Each of the videos looks at one person of achievement, from the days of the Civil War to the present times. The video series includes the stories of botanist George Washington Carver; abolitionist and author Frederick Douglass; politician and founder of the Rainbow Coalition, Jesse Jackson; civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.; Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall; Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Army general Colin Powell; baseball hero Jackie Robinson; anti-slavery activist Sojourner Truth; Underground Railroad founder Harriet Tubman; early businesswomen and philanthropist Madam C.J. Walker; educator Booker T. Washington; and Black Muslim leader Malcolm X.