Uncovering "Eyes On The Prize III" - A Powerful Look at Civil Rights History

The Real Perspectives

February 25, 2025

HBO

"Eyes On The Prize III: We Who Believe In Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015” is the harrowing documentary premeiring today on HBO at 9pm EST. It is a continuation of the groundbreaking series "Eyes on the Prize," continuing with today's movement for justice that started with the premeire of "Hallowed Ground" in 2021. The first two of six episodes will premeire tonight with two episodes airing back-to-back on HBO. All six episodes will be available to stream on Max.

In a time where racial equality has never been more crucial, the series highlights pivotal moments in Black history featuring community activism, fair housing, healthcare inequalities, "Reaganomics", the 1995 Million Man March, affirmative action, school integration, the criminal and environmental justice system, Barack Obama's presidency and the Black Lives Matters movement.

With executive producers Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez, Asako Gladsjo and Dawn Porter, the series is inspired by Henry Hampton’s legendary documentary series Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement that ran during 1987 and 1990, this new installment illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equity and racial justice in the years since the birth of the American Civil Rights Movement.

"Presenting contemporary history in context with archival footage and intimate interviews with those who personally participated in collective movements, the series is a wide-ranging meditation about the ongoing struggle for freedom, racial justice, and equity in the years since the civil rights movement, reflecting untold stories of the people and communities fighting for a better future in a changing America".

HBO

The episode list is as follows:

Episode 1: “America, Don’t Look Away 1977-1988”

Debut date: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 

Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, episode one chronicles community activists in New York’s South Bronx and Philadelphia fighting for fair housing and healthcare at the tail end of the Carter administration and through the rise of Reaganomics and the AIDS crisis.

Episode 2: “Trapped: 1989-1995”

Debut date: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Directed by Samantha Knowles, episode two documents  the criminal justice system profiling public defenders in Washington D.C. and local organizers in South Central Los Angeles who sound the alarm about institutional structures and policies that disproportionately affect the Black community.

Episode 3: “Million Man March 1995”

Debut date: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Directed by Muta’Ali, episode three chronicles the controversy and community inspired by the 1995 Million Man March in Washington, D.C. that came to be a transformative experience for many of the men who traveled in from around the nation to participate.

Episode 4: “Spoil The Vine 1982-2011” WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Directed by Rudy Valdez, episode four explores the growing environmental justice movement as local activists in West Virginia and Florida fight threats to their communities’ health and survival.

Episode 5: “We Don’t See Color 1996-2013” THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 

Directed by Smriti Mundhra, episode five explores the complexities of affirmative action policies and how a changing demographic landscape affected school desegregation in new ways.

Episode Six: “What Comes After Hope? 2008-2015” THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 

Directed by Asako Gladsjo, episode six chronicles the years of America’s first Black president, when, despite hope for significant societal change, police brutality soared and a new movement under the banner #BlackLivesMatter emerged.

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The series brings social awareness at a time when we need it most, told with dedication and precision. Viewers must never forget the fight for continued equality and the hope that the dream can be achieved.

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