Every year when planning for the February schedule rolls around
programmers get deluged with emails and postcards touting titles as
being "ideal for your African-American History Month lineup." Of
course, station relation's types and producers are just doing their
respective jobs by trying to bolster carriage for these programs.
However, I would argue that a public television station is doing a poor
job of service to the community if it limits targeted programming to
only theme months. After all, a year-round presence of diverse titles
is what makes for a balanced, representative schedule.
This year another stack of DVD's considered "ideal for (my)
African-American History Month lineup" landed on my desk and I was, to
say the least, unimpressed with the offerings. Let's be honest: most of
the titles, which will remain unnamed, are dreadful, poorly produced,
meandering documentaries barely suitable for broadcast. Yet, on a whim
(read desperation) I pulled Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey
from the stack and popped it in my player. Given my 7-minute rule, the
documentary easily exceeded my expectations and proceeded to enthrall
me with the story of a man's life that I have embarrassingly remained
ignorant of until now.
Like myself, I assume many of you have never heard of Thelton
Henderson. Shame on us because Mr. Henderson is a man with a history
and body of work that has in many ways affected the lives of millions
of Americans - black, white and in between. His accomplishments are
numerous: one of the first African-American's to graduate from the
Boalt Hall School of Law at UC-Berkeley; the first African-American
lawyer in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division; he started
the minority recruitment program at the Stanford Law School; and in
1980 he was appointed to the U.S. District Court by President Carter.
Producer/director Abby Ginzberg has managed to craft a bio film that at
once captures the historic importance of Mr. Henderson's triumphs and
failures, but also gives the viewer context in which to connect with
the subject. Ginzberg does a remarkable job of being intimate with Mr.
Henderson, both from his personal recollections, as well as stories
provided by his friends. In sequences covering Mr. Henderson's work in
the south during the civil rights movement, his ruling nullifying
California's proposition 209 (anti-affirmative action), his fight with
the tuna fishing industry, and his brave work to reform the California
prison system, the film tells great stories with great visuals. The
black and white footage of Mr. Henderson during the civil rights
movement is wonderful, if only as a device to show how far he has come.
Soul of Justice has a pace that belies its 56:40 running time. If not
for a few missteps, including recreations of Mr. Henderson writing his
rulings on a yellow legal pad (cheesy), Ginzberg's film would be
perfect. Or, I dare say ideal for your African-American History month
schedule. Give it a preview and find a timeslot - this film deserves a
fair shake.
The story of
Thelton Henderson's path from his childhood in Watts, through his career as the
first black attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the US Dept. of Justice— a job he
lost after loaning his car to Dr. Martin Luther King—to becoming one of the
first Black federal judges. Focusing on some of his most newsworthy rulings,
including requiring that tuna fishing be ‘dolphin-safe’ and that basic human
rights be provided to even the most hardcore prison inmates, the film reveals
the importance of one man’s tenacious commitment to seeing that justice retains
its soul.
_____________________________________________________________________ Produced by:Abby Ginzberg, Ginzberg
Productions
NOLA Code: JTHN 000K1 NETA Feed: Saturday, January 5,
2008 @ 2100-2200 ET/513*Feed-For-Record*
4
Releases in 3 Years, Starting Saturday January 5, 2008-January 4, 2011 - in time for Martin Luther King Day
& Black History Month -
VOD: 30 DaysSD 4 x 3
Program DVD’s will be Mailed to Stations in October
I am honored to announce
the availability via NETA of Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson’s American Journeyfor public television broadcast in time for Martin Luther King
Day (January 15th) and for February’s Black History Month. The
one-hour documentary is the unforgettable story about one man’s commitment to
integrity and human rights and his profound influence on the American judicial
system. As KQED’s program director Scott Dwyer says, “You might
want to consider this program for Martin Luther King’s birthday week because
while Thelton Henderson’s name may not immediately be familiar to you, his life
is a virtual chronicle of the Civil Rights Movement over the past fifty
years. In 1963, he lost his job after loaning his car to Dr. King, but he
may well have saved Dr. King’s life and has gone on to make a difference in the
lives of millions.”
Soul of Justice: Thelton
Henderson’s American Journeyis a thought-provoking program
that portrays a man who, despite his personal humility and disregard for
celebrity, often found himself a trailblazer in education and law. Henderson went to U.C.
Berkeley on a football scholarship. After an injury ended his football
playing days, he declared, “I was not going back to Watts
so I “studied, studied, studied” in order to remain at college. He went
on to Berkeley’s prestigious Boalt Hall Law School
and fresh out of law school was hired as the first black attorney in the Civil
Rights Division of the Kennedy Justice Department in the 1960s. Henderson confronted the
intricate challenges of being a black man in authority within the virtually
all-white world of the American legal system in the South. With rare and
powerful archival footage, Soul of Justice offers
viewers an intimate window into the world of the young lawyer as he grapples
with tough choices, including the decision to loan a car to Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., a crucial act which ultimately cost him his job.
Soul of Justice
reverberates with the heart-wrenching and dynamic issues that have placed Judge
Henderson on the front lines and in headlines for decades. Beginning with his
1980 judicial appointment by President Jimmy Carter until the present day, Henderson’s tenacity has
ensured that his decisions are implemented. Unafraid of controversy and
criticism, he is the judge responsible for world-wide dolphin-safe tuna
fishing, rulings leading toward ending inhumane conditions at the notorious
Pelican Bay State Prison, and a decision to stay the elimination of affirmative
action in California.
Soul of Justice
captures the nature of this humble, yet heroic human being by deftly weaving
together the parallel threads of historical imagery and insightful commentary
to create a profile in courage. At a time of increasing polarization over the
actions of judges in America,
this compelling cinematic journey reveals the true power of Thelton Henderson’s
fearless efforts to see that justice retains its soul.
Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson’s American Journeyis produced and directed by Abby Ginzberg. It
is distributed by NETA with major funding provided by the Ford Foundation; with additional funding
provided by Kazan, McClain, Abrams, Fernandez, Lyons & Farrise Foundation;
Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein; The Morrison & Foerster
Foundation; The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation; The William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation; Rosenberg Foundation; Cotchett, Pitre, Simon &
McCarthy; Guy and Jeanine Saperstein; Akonadi Foundation. A list of
additional funders is available at www.soulofjustice.org. Local
underwriting is permitted.
Please contact me if you have
questions. A fact sheet follows.
Program Description: The
story of Thelton Henderson's path from his childhood in Watts, through his
career as the first black attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the US
Department of Justice— a job he lost after loaning his car to Dr. Martin Luther
King—to becoming one of the first Black federal judges. Focusing on some of his
most newsworthy rulings, including requiring that tuna fishing be
‘dolphin-safe’ and that basic human rights be provided to even the most
hardcore prison inmates, the film reveals the importance of one man’s tenacious
commitment to seeing that justice retains its soul.
Episodes/Length: 1/60
Rights: Broadcast:4 releases/3
years, January 5, 2008-January 4, 2011 VOD: 30 days
Non-Commercial Cable: Unlimited
School Record: 1 Year
Video: SD 4x3
NOLA
Code: JTHN 000K1
Feed: Saturday, January 5, 2008 @
2100-2200 ET/513
*Feed-For-Record*
Hook: January 15th, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
February, Black History Month
Broadcast History: KQED, September 2007
Awards: Silver Gavel; CINE Golden Eagle; Special Award, Black International
Cinema Festival; Bay Area Women in Television and Film Award; Insight Awards
for Documentary and Graphic Design
Underwriters: Ford Foundation; Kazan, McClain,
Abrams, Fernandez, Lyons & Farrise Foundation; Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann
& Bernstein; The Morrison & Foerster Foundation; The Wallace Alexander
Gerbode Foundation; The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Rosenberg Foundation;
Cotchett,
Pitre, Simon & McCarthy; Guy and Jeanine Saperstein; Akonadi Foundation.
A list of additional funders is available at: www.soulofjustice.org Local
Underwriting: Local underwriting is permitted
The story of
Thelton Henderson's path from his childhood in Watts, through his career as the
first black attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the US Dept. of Justice— a job he
lost after loaning his car to Dr. Martin Luther King—to becoming one of the
first Black federal judges. Focusing on some of his most newsworthy rulings,
including requiring that tuna fishing be ‘dolphin-safe’ and that basic human
rights be provided to even the most hardcore prison inmates, the film reveals
the importance of one man’s tenacious commitment to seeing that justice retains
its soul.
