I am having such a good time with this series on Black journalists. For today’s post, rather than just another biographical profile, I want to talk about Soldiers without Swords, the definitive film about Black journalists and the Black press. The film was produced and directed by legendary filmmaker, Stanley Nelson.
This award-winning film begins with the publication of the first Black newspaper, Freedom’s Journal in 1827 and ends at the end of the Civil Rights movement when the best journalists from the Black press were poached by mainstream media outlets.
Soldiers without Swords is a completely engaging and totally fascinating film. The lives and careers of people like Robert S. Abbott and Ida B. Wells are thoroughly covered with intimate details and fascinating anecdotes. But also, we learn how much of an impact the Black press had on the most significant social movements in United States history, as well as in the Black community itself. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, Soldiers without Swords retells American history through the lens of the Black press and the Black journalists who created it.
Check out the trailer below and try not to get drawn in right away to the story. Note: I’ve watched the Soldiers Without Swords film at least five times and learn something new every time.
Peace!
