AMERICA

“SHE’LL LOVE YOU IF YOU LET HER AGAIN”

AMERICA

“SHE’LL LOVE YOU
IF YOU LET HER AGAIN”

Actor/director and musician David Soul, co-star of the iconic 1970s television series, Starsky and Hutch, has created and directed a short film/documentary called AMERICA, based on a song of the same name. The song, written by Jack Murphy and recorded by David 40 years ago, was never released—until now.

David’s not-for-profit film, available FREE across all social media, reveals America’s story as illustrated in the song’s lyrics—from her slave-trading beginnings in 1619, through the years of the Civil Rights struggles, to the inspirational, global, and long-overdue Black Lives Matter movement.

AMERICA, the film, is a reminder that our uniqueness as a country—often concealed in superficial patriotic bravado and self-congratulation—actually lies in our immeasurable compassion and love, as well as in our undaunting willingness to learn from our past and rise above our differences. The film, at moments graphic and challenging, is not always easy to watch, but in fact, it serves to embrace the collective heart and soul of our nation’s diversity.

We are reminded by David Soul’s AMERICA that we must unite together on “the Yellow Brick Road” in our continuing journey to form “a more perfect union”; in essence, to ensure that the promises of equality and justice for all Americans, enshrined within the United States Constitution, are finally realized.

PLAY VIDEO

We are so grateful to everyone who responded to our appeal to help us finish what we now also consider a project that you made possible. We could not do it without you.

I gotta tell you, this project, AMERICA, has been an extraordinary journey and very exciting. Laura Moretti (my brilliant editor) and I began with no script, nothing on paper; just an idea based on a song I recorded 40 years ago called AMERICA.

Though I’d never released it back in the day, suddenly with all the division, polarization and violence that is tearing away at the heart of our beloved country these days, it seemed to me the right time to use this song as a simple window … into the soul of America. I decided to use the song as the basis of a short film documentary, retracing and reminding us all of some of the highs and lows of the American experience of equality and justice for ALL Americans.

Over these past few months, the production regimen has proceeded like this: Every day, with the exception of Thursdays and Sundays, starts with a 5:30pm Skype call from my home in London to my editor-in-chief, Laura, at her home in Chico, CA. That’s 9:30am her time, an eight-hour time difference, and she won’t talk to me before breakfast. Then each day, with no compass to guide us, little by little, we walk into the unknown and somehow manage to put a story together, section by section, using the photos and video clips that Lisa Adair in Texas has sourced and the licenses for which Alison Knox in Australia has cleared for us and for the upcoming press releases that Lori Keefer in Illinois will be disseminating for us. What a team!

The point is this: I couldn’t have done this on my own. I’ve had such wonderful support from all these people and, as for Laura Moretti, what can I say? The process has been a joy … defined by great respect for each other and our goal. We have approached the project humbly and with great care. Hopefully, with the resources that your gifts have put at our disposal, we have managed to document a brief story that represents both the best and even the saddest of the American experience … a nation, nearly 350 years old, still seeking “to create a more perfect union.”

Thanks again for your belief,

—David Soul

TEAM AMERICA

BEHIND THE FILM

Production Credits

DAVID SOUL
Director / Editor /
Executive Producer

LAURA MORETTI
Editor / Executive Producer

LISA ADAIR
Production Content Coordinator
/ Executive Producer

ALISON KNOX
Legal Consultant / Executive Producer

HUGH BURNS
Additional Music Score

LORI KEEFER
Executive Producer

On-Film Credits

IMAGES AND FOOTAGE

Adobe StockAlabama Department of Archives and History (donated by Alabama Media Group). Photo by Tom Lankford, Birmingham News
 
Alabama Department of Archives and History (donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Spider Martin, Birmingham News
 
Alamy Images
 
Associated Press
 
Audio JungleAudio Network
 
Australia War Memorial
 
Critical Past
 
Evan Henderson
 
Getty Images
 
Marc Riboud/Magnum Photos
 
Reuters
 
Reuters Connect
 
Shutterstock

COURTESY IMAGES AND FOOTAGE

Black Past

Charlotte M. Yonge, Young Folks History of England

C-SPAN

Darnella Frazier

Department of Defense

Good Free Photos

Greenwood Cultural Center

Imgur/RedAstronaut83

Jack Moebes/News & Record

Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W., Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian Institute

 

Kent State University Libraries, May 4 Collection, Kent State University New Services May 4 photographs; Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives

Library of Congress

@MattMcGorry

Michael Moretti

NASA

NASA Langley Research Center

National Archives

National Park Service Museum

Newspapers.com

Neysa Page-Lieberman

Oklahoma Historical Society

PBS

 

Princeton University Library

Ratical.org/co-globalize/MaeWanHo/

Smithsonian Institute

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Naomi Long Madgett

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

White House Archives

Wikimedia

Wikipedia

Wiki Commons

Yale Collection of Western Americana, Bienecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Contributors

Shirley Aguilar
Cindy Allbee
Judy Anthony
Angela Arguelles
Susan Bagdon
Kim Baptist
Rodney Baptist
Janette Barber
Jacqueline Bates
Bryan L. Benedict
Patti Blackwell
Lauren Boaz

Anne Burrowes
Cheryl Cardello
Nada Carol
Sheila Chapman
Marion Conner
Kathy Craven
Tammy Dooley
Marianne Ewing
Antonio Fargas
Margaret Franklin
Deidre Gordon
Lynn Graham

Vania Guazzelli
Mindy Hoffman
Anja Hollaschke
Caroline Hutson
Janet Knox
Debra Kruger
Joan Lackey-DeMoss
Katherine Langley
Gail Lorden
Joann Lukasiewicz
Maria Marta Ponga
Marc Moretti

Kathleen O’Malley
Vicki Parsons
Dawn Pressley
Barbara A. Rosenbach
Doris Sanders
Christine Snell
Rusty Snyder
Deborah Stahli
Linda Stevenson
Viviane Sun Bellissant
Beth Thomsen
Linda Van Maanen
Helen Williams

Supporters

Christina Baker
Emma Baptist
Sam Baptist
Zoe Baptist
Susan Barzallo
Denise Bianco
Thomas Campbel
Carla Cathcart
Linda Chapple
Joseph Connelly
Edith Crouse
Mary Dallas
Valerie Delanzy
Zamari DeMoss
Geoffrey Deuel
Donna Filsinger
Susan Fuller

Mary Glassman
Ronnie Grill
Patrica Hofman
Sharon Kay Tully
Christine Knodt-Haas
Janet Knox
Emilie LaForge
Jackson Loyd
Janet Marie
Amy Marler
Montse Martinez
Susan McEwan
Cathy McInturff
Helen Mesquita
Terri Meyer
Pilar Molina

Oscar Moreno
Eugene Moretti
Gillian Muirhead
Angela Murphy
Jean Nisley
David Pearson
Linda Powers
Laurie Ramadurai
Iris Reeb
Jo Reed
Amelia Ringheim
Brigitte Rzepa
Samantha Rzepa
Thomas Schwarz
Melodie Seeger
Valdy Sica

Jill Sinclair
Ariana Smith
Karen Smith
Monica Sztybel
Christine Tetzlaff
Keri Tompkins
Diane Triantis
Janice Visca
David W Stevenson
Gloria Weakland
Kevin Wheeler
Nicole Wheeler
Deirdre Wilkins
Deborah Williams
Patrice Williams Marks
Sally Willmott

Image Credits

Bigfoot’s band on Pine Ridge Reservation, 1891: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

March of the Sioux, 1905: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

Purchase of Manhattan Island, 1909: Wiki Commons

Landing Negros at Jamestown, 1619: GL Archive/Alamy Stock Photo

Thomas Jefferson: Rembrandt Peale/Wikipedia

African slaves thrown off ship, 1888: Chris Hellier/Alamy Stock Photo

His name is Gordon, 1863: Matthew Brady/Wiki Commons

Slave family in Savannah, 1860: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Frederick Douglass: George K Warren/Wiki Commons

President Abraham Lincoln: Alexander Gardner/Wiki Commons

U.S. Navy Dauntless on mission, 1943: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

U.S. troops disembarking, Normandy, 1944: Time Life Pictures/U.S. Coast Guard/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

U.S. troops on Iwo Jima, 1945: Joe Rosenthal/Associated Press

Eisenhower talking to troops, 1944: Unknown U.S. Army Photographer/Wikipedia

WWII soldiers playing piano in Normandy, 1944: National Archives U.S.A.

Black American WACS in New York, 1945: Associated Press

Statue of Liberty: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

Children hold Knoxville Journal, “War Ends,” 1945: Ed Westcott/Wiki Commons

VJ Day in Paris with American Military, 1945: Good Free Photos

Soda Jerk, 1936: Alan Fisher/World Telegram/Wiki Commons

Woman hugs soldier while older couple smiles, 1945: Harold M. Lambert/Getty Images

Then-Senator John F. Kennedy, Boston, 1957: Corbis Historical via Getty Images

People reading newspapers of President John F. Kennedy’s death, 1963: Carl Mydans/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson sworn in on plane, 1963: Cecil W. Stoughton/Wiki Commons

President John F. Kennedy’s horse-drawn caisson, 1963: Associated Press

President John F. Kennedy Jr. salutes father’s casket, 1963: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Vietnam village bombed, 1966: Larry Burrows/Getty Images

Vietnamese soldier walks among dead Viet Cong, 1968: Nik Wheeler/Getty Images

Wounded children running after Napalm bombing, 1972: Nick Ut/Associated Press

U.S. soldiers carry wounded from trench, 1966: Rolls Press/Popperfoto via Getty Images

U.S. wounded soldier from Hamburger Hill, 1969: Hugh Van Es/Associated Press

Hamburger Hill medic attempts to resuscitate a mortally wounded soldier, 1969: Hugh Van Es/Associated Press

Washington, D.C., Vietnam War Memorial Wall: Sean Pavone/Alamy Stock Photo

On the road to Woodstock, 1969: Baron Wolman/Getty Images

Crowd around tractor at Woodstock, 1969: Daniel Wolf/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Teens in trunk of car at Woodstock, 1969: Three Lions/Getty Images

John Sebastian performs at Woodstock, 1969: Baron Wolman/Getty Images

David Brown performs with Santana at Woodstock, 1969: Tucker Ranson/Getty Images

Jimi Hendrix performs at Monterey Pop Festival, 1967: Bruce Fleming/Associated Press

Anti-Vietnam War protesters, 1966: Bill Ingraham/Associated Press

Kent State shooting (National Guard sent in), 1970: Associated Press

Kent State (National Guards face-off with protesters), 1970: May 4 Collection, Kent State University New Services May 4 photographs; Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives

Kent State protester, 1970: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Jeffrey Miller shot at Kent State, 1970: John Filo/Getty Images

Anti-Vietnam War protester Jan Kasmir faces guns with flower, 1967: Marc Riboud/Magnum Photos

Arial view of riot damage, Chicago, IL, 1968: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Watts riots in Los Angeles, CA, 1965: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Children hold hands while crossing street, 1967: Bill Ray/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Race riot in Detroit, MI, 1967: AFP via Getty Images

Man forced into patrol car, Watts, CA, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

National Guard fights fires caused by riots, Watts, CA, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

National Guard patrol Watts area, CA, 1965: Lawrence Schiller/Getty Images

Young girls flee from police, Harlem, NY, 1964: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Burning building, man with distressed U.S. flag, 2020: Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” Speech, 1963: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Crowd at March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963: U.S. Marine Corp/Wikipedia

Group of freed slaves along harbor, 1860s: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

KKK gather with burning cross, 1920s: Classic Stock/Alamy Stock Photo

Parade down Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Black Past

Coca Cola truck and worker, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Greenwood Cultural Center

Mr. Berry’s Aeroplane, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Greenwood Cultural Center

Mr. Mann’s store and employees, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Greenwood Cultural Center

Maggie Walker and Staff of the Independent Order and St. Luck Penny Savings Bank, Richmond, VA, 1900s: Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site/MAWA 7231/National Park Service

Newspaper headline that sparks riot, 1920s: Wikimedia

“Dick Rowland”: JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images

“Sarah Page”: Roman Nerud/Shutterstock

Armed white man holding gun, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

White men in car with guns, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Freedom Riders bus on fire with onlookers, 1961: Doar Papers, Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University

Freedom Riders bus burns, 1961: The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Mob with motorcycle, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Tulsa National Guard gather outside police station, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Men gather outside convention center, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

Mob on foot and in cars outside courthouse, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Family out in streets, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

National Guard with machine gun crew, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Burning buildings along street, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Mt. Zion Baptist Church burning, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Huge cloud of smoke from burning buildings, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

Fire behind buildings, street view, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Smoke from buildings on street, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Greenwood houses burning, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Image of destruction of Greenwood, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Aftermath of destruction, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Dead man in suit along tracks, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Aftermath of massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Red Cross/Library of Congress

Man walks on ruins, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Race massacre victim in streets, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Greenwood street before massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Greenwood after massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Red Cross Photo/Library of Congress

Williams Dreamland Theater, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Williams Dreamland Theater destroyed, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Refugee from massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Young boy holds sibling in refugee camp, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

KKK leader with burning cross, 1965: Harry Benson/Stringer via Getty Images

KKK member in car with a noose, 1939: Everett Collections/Shutterstock

Emmett Till lying on bed, 1955: Everett Collection/Alamy Stock Photo

Emmett Till with his mom, Mamie, 1955: Everett Collection/Alamy Stock Photo

Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, 1955: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Carolyn Bryant, 1955: Gene Herrick/Shutterstock

Emmett Till, 1955: Associated Press

House from where Emmett Till was kidnapped, 1955: Ed Clark/Getty Images

Beaten face of Emmett Till, 1955: Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian Institute

Mamie Till crying, 1955: Afro Newspaper/Gado via Getty Images

Emmett Till murder trial defendants, 1955: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Overhead view of spectators at Emmett Till’s trial, 1955: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Crowd gathers at Emmett Till murder trial, 1955: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

All white male jury at Emmett Till murder trial, 1955: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Emmett Till murder defendants with wives, 1955:  Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Headline from Florence Morning News, 1955: Newspapers.com

Emmett Till’s funeral with open casket, 1955: Associated Press

Mamie Till crying at son’s casket, 1955: Associated Press

Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth Eckford harassed on way to school, 1957:  Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Alabama Gov. George Wallace blocks integration, 1963: U.S. News & World Report via Wikipedia

Little Rock integration protests, AR, 1959: Library of Congress

Jim Crow bathrooms, 1960: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Greensboro Four at Woolworth’s counter, Greensboro, NC, 1960: Jack Moebes/News & Record

Protests in front of Woolworth’s, 1960s: Truman Moore/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

African American students sit at Woolworth’s counter, 1960s: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

White passengers board bus in Montgomery, AL, 1956: Nat Farbman/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Segregated bus with sign, 1955: Tony Vaccaro/Archive Photos via Getty Images

Segregated bus seating, 1950s: Hank Walker/Getty Images

Rosa Parks on the bus, Montgomery, AL, 1955: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Rosa Parks arrested and fingerprinted, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Rosa Parks mugshot, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Alpha Historical/Alamy Stock Photo

Montgomery bus boycott, AL, 1956: Grey Villet/The LIFE Pictures Collection via Getty Images

People walking to work during bus boycott, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

Freedom Walkers, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Grey Villet/The LIFE Pictures Collection via Getty Images

African Americans board the bus from the front, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

Neo-Nazi hate bus, early 1960: Joe Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Freedom Riders wait to board bus, 1961:  Donald Uhrbrock/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

White protesters block Freedom Riders bus terminal, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

White protesters slash tires on Freedom Riders bus, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Freedom Riders watch bus burn, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Freedom Riders around burned-out shell of bus, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Image

Demonstrators repelled by fire hose, Birmingham, AL, 1963: Charles Moore/Getty Images

African American teenager attacked by police dogs, Birmingham, AL, 1963: Bill Hudson/Associated Press

Freedom Marcher with VOTE on forehead, Selma to Montgomery march, AL, 1965: Steve Schapiro/Getty Images

Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

John Lewis marching across Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL, 1965: Alabama Department of Archives and History. Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Tom Lankford, Birmingham News

Mounted police line to stop Selma, AL, civil rights marchers, 1965: Charles Moore/Getty Images

Police line to stop Selma, AL, civil rights marchers, 1965: Charles Moore/Getty Images

John Lewis marching across Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL, 1965: Alabama Department of Archives and History. Donated by Alabama Media Group/Photo by Spider Martin, Birmingham News

John Lewis beaten at Selma, AL, civil rights march, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on march to Montgomery from Selma, AL, 1965: Morton Broffman/Getty Images

Opponents to Selma, AL, marchers, 1965: William Lovelace/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. being shoved by police, 1966: Associated Press

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. arrested, 1958: Charles Moore/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in jail cell, 1962: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on March to Montgomery, AL, 1965: Ben Martin/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Soldier Field, 1966: Afro American Newspapers/Gado via Getty Images

Newspaper headline (FBI Chief calls MLK a liar), 1964: radical.org/co-globalize/MaeWanHo/

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads protest march, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Boston Tea Party protest drawing: Charlotte M. Yonge, Young Folks History of England

Women put up poster for Votes for Women, 1914: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

“I Am A Man” protest, Memphis, TN, 1968: mccool/Alamy Stock Photo

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964: MixPix/Alamy Stock Photo

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Civil Rights Act, 1964: White House Press Office/Wikipedia

President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s hand after signing Civil Rights Act, 1964: AFP via Getty Images

Lorraine Motel at night, Memphis, TN: Henry Groskinsky/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Lorraine Motel, 1968: King Anniversary Photo Gallery/Associated Press

Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson with others on Lorraine Motel balcony where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, 1968: Joseph Louw/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

Assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968: Joseph Louw/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

“I Am A Man” at Lorraine Motel, Memphis, TN, 2008: Miami Herald/Getty Images

Protester wearing “He said I can’t breathe” mask, 2020: Nikolai Linares/Getty Images

Derek Chauvin mugshot, 2020: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office

Mugshots of officers charged in George Floyd’s death, 2020: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office

Overhead view of George Floyd memorial at Cup Foods, 2020: Chanda Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Woman pays respects to George Floyd at memorial site, 2020: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Terence Floyd kneels with mourners at brother George Floyd’s memorial, 2020: Eric Miller/Reuters Pictures Archives/Reuters Connect

Terence Floyd kneels in prayer at brother George Floyd’s memorial, 2020: Lucas Jackson/Reuters Marketplace-Reuters Pictures Archive/Reuters Connect

Terence Floyd falls to his knees at site of brother George Floyd’s murder scene, 2020: Stephen Maturen/Stringer/Getty Images News

Terence Floyd looks at mural of brother George Floyd, 2020: Star Tribune via Getty Images

Flowers at George Floyd memorial site, 2020: Vasanth Rajkumar via Wiki Commons

George Floyd mural and flowers at night, 2020: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images News

Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters at night with cell phones, 2020: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters with painting of George Floyd, 2020: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images News

“No Justice No Peace” sign, 2020: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Philonise Floyd emotional testimony to Congress, 2020: Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images

Philonise Floyd during testimony to Congress, 2020: Pool/Getty Images News

“I Can’t Breathe” sign on fire, 2020: Nathan Howard/Stringer/Getty Images News

Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters near burning building in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Building on fire in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Nick Woltman/MediaNews Group/Pioneer Press via Getty Images

1921 Greenwood massacre, OK: Greenwood Cultural Center

1943 Detroit race riot, MI: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

1965 Watts riots, Los Angeles, CA: PhotoQuest/Archive Photos via Getty Images

1992 Los Angeles riots, CA: Gary Leonard/Corbis via Getty Images

2020 riots in Minnesota: Star Tribune via Getty Images

Shipping containers, “This is for George Floyd,” 2020: Adam Bettcher/Alamy Stock Photo

Minneapolis protesters outside burning Arby’s, MN, 2020: John Minchillo/Associated Press

Protesters in Ferguson, MO, 2014: Scott Olson/Getty Images News

Man with fist in air in front of burning building, 2020: Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images

American flag in front of burning building, 2020: Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Burning building in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Nick Woltman/MediaNewsGroup/Pioneer Press via Getty Images

Aftermath of riot in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Man walks past charred wreckage in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Man rides scooter past charred wreckage in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Boarded up store after looters emptied store, 2020: Javier Tovar/AFP via Getty Images

Black Lives Matter (BLM) marchers cross Edmund Pettus Bridge, 2015: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

“No More Silence” sign, 2020: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Woman in mask, “More Scared of a Racist World Than a Pandemic,” 2020: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

“Say Their Names” protest sign, 2020: Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images

George Floyd and Breonna Taylor mural, Louisville, KY, 2020: Neysa Page-Lieberman

“No More Normal” on wall, 2020: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Man sees loved one through window, 2020: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Boy at window in mask, smiling, 2020: Juanmonino/Getty Images

Woman transfers body from hospital, 2020: Misha Friedman/Getty Images

Covid-19 bodies in caskets, 2020: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Nurses comfort each other, 2020: DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Man peers around border wall, 2006: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Donald Trump holds MAGA rally, 2019: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Migrant with child at river checkpoint climbing wall, 2018: Edgard Garrido/Reuters Connect

Couple climbs border wall with child, 2018: Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

Men and children in cages at border, 2019: Office of Inspector General/Department of Homeland Security via Getty Images

Migrant children in caravan, 2018: Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump inspects border wall, San Luis, AZ, 2020: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Child cries at border, McAllen, TX, 2018: John Moore/Getty Images

Child colors “Black Lives Matter” sign, 2020: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Katherine Johnson’s equation for Flight-Path Angle of a Reentry Vehicle in the Upper Atmosphere, 1962: NASA

Katherine Johnson, 1962: NASA Langley Research Center

Buzz Aldrin on the moon, 1969: NASA

9/11 aerial shot of collapsed World Trade Center towers, New York, NY, 2001: NYPD Aviation Department, Det. Greg Semendinger

Secret Service agent carries woman to ambulance after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Thomas Monaster/NY Daily New Archive via Getty Images

Firefighters carry injured man after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Todd Maisel/NY Daily News Archives via Getty Images

Firefighters carry fallen firefighter to safety after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Matt Moyer/Corbis via Getty Images

Exhausted firefighters take a break after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: ZUMA Press/Alamy Stock Photos

Firefighters embrace after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Matt Moyer/Corbis via Getty Images

Fireman Dan Potter rests on city bench after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Matt Moyer/Corbis via Getty Images

Rubble of 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Porter Gifford/Corbis via Getty Images

Woman covered in dust and ash after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images

Man walks through ash after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Doug Kanter/AFP via Getty Images

Man standing amid ash after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Doug Kanter/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump supporter holds anti-Muslim sign, 2016: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

“White Power” hand signals, 2020: Ted S. Warren/​AP/​Shutterstock

Cartoon image of Donald Trump: doamama/Vector/Shutterstock

Tiki torch marchers at Charlottesville, VA, 2017: Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Victim of Charlottesville car attack, VA, 2017: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Injured protester from Charlottesville, VA, 2017: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Man sits on curb in front of boarded up store, 2020: Aaron Lavinski/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Cleaning up after riots, 2015: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

People working together to clean up after riots, 1992: Tony Barnard/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Kids and adults clean up their communities, 1992: Visions of America LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

Ceasefire Chicago protests, 1999: Christian K Lee/Associated Press

Early voting during a pandemic, 2020: Sean Rayford for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Vice President Joe Biden, 2020: Patrick Semansky/Shutterstock

Woman with “Yes We Can” sign, 2008: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

U.S. Representative John McCain, 2010: Christopher Holloran/Shutterstock

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2009: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

Former U.S. Presidents in Oval Office, 2009: Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images

Tommie Smith & John Carlos, 1968 Olympics: Associated Press

NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneels on sidelines, 2016: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Mercury Fever kneel for national anthem, 2016: Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Los Angeles Lakers kneel in playoffs, 2020: Kim Klement/Associated Press

Police officers in Florida “take a knee,” 2020: Eva Maria Uzcategui/Getty Images

New York Police Chief hugs protester, 2020: SOPA Images/Getty Images

President Barack Obama and U.S. Representative John Lewis embrace on Edmund Pettus Bridge, 50th Anniversary, Selma, AL, 2015: Official White House Photo taken by Pete Souza

John Lewis’ casket and carriage cross John Lewis Bridge, 2020: Nathan Posner/Shutterstock

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument, 2020: Michael Moretti

“Love Trumps Hate” sign, 2017: Glynnis Jones/Shutterstock

“Make America Kind Again,” 2017: Imgur/RedAstronaut83

Video Credits

Bald eagle in tree: blackboxguild/Adobe Stock

Close up of bald eagle: andamanec/Shutterstock

Bald eagle taking off from tree: Doug Jensen/Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: blackboxguild/Adobe Stock

U.S. troops raising the flag on Iwo Jima, 1945: Courtesy of Department of Defense

Troop ship Thomas Barry bringing soldiers to New York from World War II, 1945: Critical Past

Wounded soldiers returning home to the USA from World War II, 1945: Courtesy of Department of Defense

Families welcome soldiers home from World War II, 1945: Courtesy of Department of Defense

Men and women celebrate VJ Day in streets, 1945: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Family rushes to meet returning soldier, 1945: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Soldier greeting little girl with “Welcome Home” sign, 1945: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access Collection via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: blackboxguild/Adobe Stock

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Free at last!,” 1963: Rick Ray/ Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access Collection via Getty Images

Greenwood Avenue 1920s Cars Driving in Street, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Men walking on sidewalk of Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Women walking around Cab Bottling Truck, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Man working in clothing store, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Man working in barber shop, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Unknown Credit

Woman working on telephone switchboard, OK, 1920s: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Naomi Long Madgett

Men walking out of shop with guns, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Trucks driving down the street, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Naomi Long Madgett

Black men getting out of truck, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Black men standing with guns, 1920s: PBS

White men battering courthouse door, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Bi-wing airplane flying solo, 1920s: Australian War Memorial

Men in plane dropping bomb, 1920s: Australian War Memorial

Bombs falling from sky and exploding on town, 1920s: Australian War Memorial

Mt. Zion Baptist Church on fire, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Man kicks at a pile of rubble after race riot, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access via Getty Images

Emmett Till’s funeral, 1955: PBS Experience

Mamie Till speech, “I am not afraid,” 1955: Unknown

Audio clip of Governor George Wallace’s inauguration speech, 1963: Alabama Department of Archives and History

Video and audio of the Selma to Montgomery March with John Lewis, 1965: Unknown

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last speech, Memphis, TN, April 4, 1968: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Bald eagle soaring in sky: Wild Eye Productions/Shutterstock

Body cam footage of George Floyd’s murder, 2020: Minneapolis Police Department

Cell phone footage from a witness to George Floyd’s murder, 2020: Courtesy of Darnella Frazier

Mourners at George Floyd memorial, 2020: AFPTV via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: huresilie/Shutterstock

Philonise Floyd testifies to Congress, 2020: CSPAN

Police footage of Eric Garner’s death, 2014: New York Daily News via Getty Images

Beating of Robert Johnson, 2018: Mesa Police Department

Shooting of Terence Crutcher, 2016: Tulsa Police Department

Shooting of Philando Castile, 2016: Minnesota Police Department

Smothering of Daniel Prude, 2020: Rochester Police Department

Police beating protesters, 2020: Matt McGorry via Twitter

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: Mark O’Connell Exclusive/Pond 5/Adobe Stock

Civil Rights activist John Lewis at March on Washington, 1963: Unknown

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963: James Blue for the U.S. National Archives

Commitment March on Washington, 2020: CSPAN

Coronavirus animation: VectorFusionArt/Adobe Stock

Glaciers melting and falling into ocean: Bruce Aspley/Shutterstock

Hurricane rips roof off house: Cinematic Storm Footage/Shutterstock

Flood in Louisiana: Nexstar/WGNO New Orleans via Getty Images

Aerial view of forest fire: BlackBoxGuild/Shutterstock

Helicopter over forest fire: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Donald Trump shoves his way in front of NATO leaders, 2017: Unknown

Protesters in front of St. John’s church, Washington, DC: Nicole Glass Photography/Shutterstock

Donald Trump walks to Lafayette Park, Washington, DC, 2020: C-SPAN

Bald eagle flying: huresilie/Shutterstock

Apollo 11 astronauts, 1969: NASA

Apollo 11 rocket takes off, 1969: NASA

Mission Control for Apollo 11, 1969: NASA

Apollo 11 rocket lift-off, 1969: NASA

NASA staff watch Apollo 11 launch, 1969: NASA

Apollo 11 rocket, 1969: NASA

President Barack Obama gives Medal of Freedom to Katherine Johnson, 2015: WhiteHouse.gov

Car plows into protesters in Charlottesville, NC, 2017: Evan Henderson

Man walks past charred wreckage in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Voting via mail: VideoLand/Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: BBC Natural History via Getty

Jackie Robinson at bat, 1940s: npatou via YouTube

Police and protesters face each other in street and kneel, 2020: Fayetteville, NC, Police Department

John Lewis’ casket going over Edmund Pettus Bridge in carriage, 2020: C-SPAN

Bald eagle flying: Mark O’Connell/ Adobe Stock

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: Smithsonian Collection via Getty Images

Robert F. Kennedy announces death of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968: Unknown

Bald eagle landing on a rock: Echo Films/Getty Images

“Ask not what your country can do for you;
ask what you can do for your country.”

PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

Actor/director and musician David Soul, co-star of the iconic 1970s television series, Starsky and Hutch, has created and directed a short film/documentary called AMERICA, based on a song of the same name. The song, written by Jack Murphy and recorded by David 40 years ago, was never released—until now.

David’s not-for-profit film, available FREE across all social media, reveals America’s story as illustrated in the song’s lyrics—from her slave-trading beginnings in 1619, through the years of the Civil Rights struggles, to the inspirational, global, and long-overdue Black Lives Matter movement.

AMERICA, the film, is a reminder that our uniqueness as a country—often concealed in superficial patriotic bravado and self-congratulation—actually lies in our immeasurable compassion and love, as well as in our undaunting willingness to learn from our past and rise above our differences. The film, at moments graphic and challenging, is not always easy to watch, but in fact, it serves to embrace the collective heart and soul of our nation’s diversity.

We are reminded by David Soul’s AMERICA that we must unite together on “the Yellow Brick Road” in our continuing journey to form “a more perfect union”; in essence, to ensure that the promises of equality and justice for all Americans, enshrined within the United States Constitution, are finally realized.

PLAY VIDEO

We are so grateful to everyone who responded to our appeal to help us finish what we now also consider a project that you made possible. We could not do it without you.

I gotta tell you, this project, AMERICA, has been an extraordinary journey and very exciting. Laura Moretti (my brilliant editor) and I began with no script, nothing on paper; just an idea based on a song I recorded 40 years ago called AMERICA.

Though I’d never released it back in the day, suddenly with all the division, polarization and violence that is tearing away at the heart of our beloved country these days, it seemed to me the right time to use this song as a simple window … into the soul of America. I decided to use the song as the basis of a short film documentary, retracing and reminding us all of some of the highs and lows of the American experience of equality and justice for ALL Americans.

Over these past few months, the production regimen has proceeded like this: Every day, with the exception of Thursdays and Sundays, starts with a 5:30pm Skype call from my home in London to my editor-in-chief, Laura, at her home in Chico, CA. That’s 9:30am her time, an eight-hour time difference, and she won’t talk to me before breakfast. Then each day, with no compass to guide us, little by little, we walk into the unknown and somehow manage to put a story together, section by section, using the photos and video clips that Lisa Adair in Texas has sourced and the licenses for which Alison Knox in Australia has cleared for us and for the upcoming press releases that Lori Keefer in Illinois will be disseminating for us. What a team!

The point is this: I couldn’t have done this on my own. I’ve had such wonderful support from all these people and, as for Laura Moretti, what can I say? The process has been a joy … defined by great respect for each other and our goal. We have approached the project humbly and with great care. Hopefully, with the resources that your gifts have put at our disposal, we have managed to document a brief story that represents both the best and even the saddest of the American experience … a nation, nearly 350 years old, still seeking “to create a more perfect union.”

Thanks again for your belief,

—David Soul

Production Credits

David Soul
Director / Editor /
Executive Producer

Laura Moretti
Editor / Executive Producer

Lisa Adair
Production Content Coordinator
/ Executive Producer

Alison Knox
Legal Consultant / Executive Producer

Hugh Burns
Additional Music Score

Lori Keefer
Executive Producer

On-Film Credits

IMAGES AND FOOTAGE

Adobe Stock

Alabama Department of Archives and History (donated by Alabama Media Group). Photo by Tom Lankford, Birmingham News

Alabama Department of Archives and History (donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Spider Martin, Birmingham News

Alamy Images

Associated Press

Audio Jungle

Audio Network

Australia War Memorial

Critical Past

Evan Henderson

Getty Images

Marc Riboud/Magnum Photos

Reuters

Reuters Connect

Shutterstock

COURTESY IMAGES AND FOOTAGE

Black Past

Charlotte M. Yonge, Young Folks History of England

C-SPAN

Darnella Frazier

Department of Defense

Good Free Photos

Greenwood Cultural Center

Imgur/RedAstronaut83

Jack Moebes/News & Record

Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W, Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian Institute

Kent State University Libraries, May 4 Collection, Kent State University New Services May 4 photographs; Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives

Library of Congress

@MattMcGorry

Michael Moretti

NASA

NASA Langley Research Center

National Archives

National Park Service Museum

Newspapers.com

Neysa Page-Lieberman

Oklahoma Historical Society

PBS

Princeton University Library

Ratical.org/co-globalize/MaeWanHo/

Smithsonian Institute

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Naomi Long Madgett

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

White House Archives

Wikimedia

Wikipedia

Wiki Commons

Yale Collection of Western Americana, Bienecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Contributors

Shirley Aguilar
Cindy Allbee
Judy Anthony
Angela Arguelles
Susan Bagdon
Kim Baptist
Rodney Baptist
Janette Barber
Jacqueline Bates
Bryan L. Benedict
Patti Blackwell
Lauren Boaz
Anne Burrowes
Cheryl Cardello
Nada Carol
Sheila Chapman
Marion Conner
Kathy Craven
Tammy Dooley
Marianne Ewing
Antonio Fargas
Margaret Franklin
Maria Garcia
Deidre Gordon
Lynn Graham
Vania Guazzelli
Mindy Hoffman
Anja Hollaschke
Caroline Hutson
Janet Knox
Debra Kruger
Joan Lackey-DeMoss
Katherine Langley
Gail Lorden
Joann Lukasiewicz
Maria Marta Ponga
Marc Moretti
Kathleen O’Malley
Vicki Parsons
Dawn Pressley
Barbara A. Rosenbach
Doris Sanders
Christine Snell
Rusty Snyder
Deborah Stahli
Linda Stevenson
Viviane Sun Bellissant
Beth Thomsen
Linda Van Maanen
Helen Williams

Supporters

Christina Baker
Emma Baptist
Sam Baptist
Zoe Baptist
Susan Barzallo
Denise Bianco
Thomas Campbel
Carla Cathcart
Linda Chapple
Joseph Connelly
Edith Crouse
Mary Dallas
Valerie Delanzy
Zamari DeMoss
Geoffrey Deuel
Donna Filsinger
Susan Fuller
Mary Glassman
Ronnie Grill
Patrica Hofman
Sharon Kay Tully
Christine Knodt-Haas
Janet Knox
Emilie LaForge
Jackson Loyd
Janet Marie
Amy Marler
Montse Martinez
Susan McEwan
Cathy McInturff
Helen Mesquita
Terri Meyer
Pilar Molina
Oscar Moreno
Eugene Moretti
Gillian Muirhead
Angela Murphy
Jean Nisley
David Pearson
Linda Powers
Laurie Ramadurai
Iris Reeb
Jo Reed
Amelia Ringheim
Brigitte Rzepa
Samantha Rzepa
Thomas Schwarz
Melodie Seeger
Valdy Sica
Jill Sinclair
Ariana Smith
Karen Smith
Monica Sztybel
Christine Tetzlaff
Keri Tompkins
Diane Triantis
Janice Visca
David W Stevenson
Gloria Weakland
Kevin Wheeler
Nicole Wheeler
Deirdre Wilkins
Deborah Williams
Patrice Williams Marks
Sally Willmott

Image Credits

Bigfoot’s band on Pine Ridge Reservation, 1891: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

March of the Sioux, 1905: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

Purchase of Manhattan Island, 1909: Wiki Commons

Landing Negros at Jamestown, 1619: GL Archive/Alamy Stock Photo

Thomas Jefferson: Rembrandt Peale/Wikipedia

African slaves thrown off ship, 1888: Chris Hellier/Alamy Stock Photo

His name is Gordon, 1863: Matthew Brady/Wiki Commons

Slave family in Savannah, 1860: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Frederick Douglass: George K Warren/Wiki Commons

President Abraham Lincoln: Alexander Gardner/Wiki Commons

U.S. Navy Dauntless on mission, 1943: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

U.S. troops disembarking, Normandy, 1944: Time Life Pictures/U.S. Coast Guard/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

U.S. troops on Iwo Jima, 1945: Joe Rosenthal/Associated Press

Eisenhower talking to troops, 1944: Unknown U.S. Army Photographer/Wikipedia

WWII soldiers playing piano in Normandy, 1944: National Archives U.S.A.

Black American WACS in New York, 1945: Associated Press

Statue of Liberty: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

Children hold Knoxville Journal, “War Ends,” 1945: Ed Westcott/Wiki Commons

VJ Day in Paris with American Military, 1945: Good Free Photos

Soda Jerk, 1936: Alan Fisher/World Telegram/Wiki Commons

Woman hugs soldier while older couple smiles, 1945: Harold M. Lambert/Getty Images

Then-Senator John F. Kennedy, Boston, 1957: Corbis Historical via Getty Images

People reading newspapers of President John F. Kennedy’s death, 1963: Carl Mydans/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson sworn in on plane, 1963: Cecil W. Stoughton/Wiki Commons

President John F. Kennedy’s horse-drawn caisson, 1963: Associated Press

President John F. Kennedy Jr. salutes father’s casket, 1963: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Vietnam village bombed, 1966: Larry Burrows/Getty Images

Vietnamese soldier walks among dead Viet Cong, 1968: Nik Wheeler/Getty Images

Wounded children running after Napalm bombing, 1972: Nick Ut/Associated Press

U.S. soldiers carry wounded from trench, 1966: Rolls Press/Popperfoto via Getty Images

U.S. wounded soldier from Hamburger Hill, 1969: Hugh Van Es/Associated Press

Hamburger Hill medic attempts to resuscitate a mortally wounded soldier, 1969: Hugh Van Es/Associated Press

Washington, D.C., Vietnam War Memorial Wall: Sean Pavone/Alamy Stock Photo

On the road to Woodstock, 1969: Baron Wolman/Getty Images

Crowd around tractor at Woodstock, 1969: Daniel Wolf/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Teens in trunk of car at Woodstock, 1969: Three Lions/Getty Images

John Sebastian performs at Woodstock, 1969: Baron Wolman/Getty Images

David Brown performs with Santana at Woodstock, 1969: Tucker Ranson/Getty Images

Jimi Hendrix performs at Monterey Pop Festival, 1967: Bruce Fleming/Associated Press

Anti-Vietnam War protesters, 1966: Bill Ingraham/Associated Press

Kent State shooting (National Guard sent in), 1970: Associated Press

Kent State (National Guards face-off with protesters), 1970: May 4 Collection, Kent State University New Services May 4 photographs; Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives

Kent State protester, 1970: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Jeffrey Miller shot at Kent State, 1970: John Filo/Getty Images

Anti-Vietnam War protester Jan Kasmir faces guns with flower, 1967: Marc Riboud/Magnum Photos

Arial view of riot damage, Chicago, IL, 1968: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Watts riots in Los Angeles, CA, 1965: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Children hold hands while crossing street, 1967: Bill Ray/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Race riot in Detroit, MI, 1967: AFP via Getty Images

Man forced into patrol car, Watts, CA, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

National Guard fights fires caused by riots, Watts, CA, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

National Guard patrol Watts area, CA, 1965: Lawrence Schiller/Getty Images

Young girls flee from police, Harlem, NY, 1964: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Burning building, man with distressed U.S. flag, 2020: Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” Speech, 1963: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Crowd at March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963: U.S. Marine Corp/Wikipedia

Group of freed slaves along harbor, 1860s: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

KKK gather with burning cross, 1920s: Classic Stock/Alamy Stock Photo

Parade down Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Black Past

Coca Cola truck and worker, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Greenwood Cultural Center

Mr. Berry’s Aeroplane, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Greenwood Cultural Center

Mr. Mann’s store and employees, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Greenwood Cultural Center

Maggie Walker and Staff of the Independent Order and St. Luck Penny Savings Bank, Richmond, VA, 1900s: Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site/MAWA 7231/National Park Service

Newspaper headline that sparks riot, 1920s: Wikimedia

“Dick Rowland”: JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images

“Sarah Page”: Roman Nerud/Shutterstock

Armed white man holding gun, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

White men in car with guns, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Freedom Riders bus on fire with onlookers, 1961: Doar Papers, Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University

Freedom Riders bus burns, 1961: The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Mob with motorcycle, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Tulsa National Guard gather outside police station, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Men gather outside convention center, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

Mob on foot and in cars outside courthouse, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Family out in streets, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

National Guard with machine gun crew, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Burning buildings along street, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Mt. Zion Baptist Church burning, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Huge cloud of smoke from burning buildings, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

Fire behind buildings, street view, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Smoke from buildings on street, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Greenwood houses burning, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Image of destruction of Greenwood, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Aftermath of destruction, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Dead man in suit along tracks, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Aftermath of massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Red Cross/Library of Congress

Man walks on ruins, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Oklahoma Historical Society

Race massacre victim in streets, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Greenwood street before massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Greenwood after massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Red Cross Photo/Library of Congress

Williams Dreamland Theater, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Williams Dreamland Theater destroyed, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Refugee from massacre, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Greenwood Cultural Center

Young boy holds sibling in refugee camp, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Tulsa Historical Society & Museum

KKK leader with burning cross, 1965: Harry Benson/Stringer via Getty Images

KKK member in car with a noose, 1939: Everett Collections/Shutterstock

Emmett Till lying on bed, 1955: Everett Collection/Alamy Stock Photo

Emmett Till with his mom, Mamie, 1955: Everett Collection/Alamy Stock Photo

Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, 1955: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Carolyn Bryant, 1955: Gene Herrick/Shutterstock

Emmett Till, 1955: Associated Press

House from where Emmett Till was kidnapped, 1955: Ed Clark/Getty Images

Beaten face of Emmett Till, 1955: Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian Institute

Mamie Till crying, 1955: Afro Newspaper/Gado via Getty Images

Emmett Till murder trial defendants, 1955: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Overhead view of spectators at Emmett Till’s trial, 1955: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Crowd gathers at Emmett Till murder trial, 1955: Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

All white male jury at Emmett Till murder trial, 1955: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Emmett Till murder defendants with wives, 1955:  Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Headline from Florence Morning News, 1955: Newspapers.com

Emmett Till’s funeral with open casket, 1955: Associated Press

Mamie Till crying at son’s casket, 1955: Associated Press

Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth Eckford harassed on way to school, 1957:  Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Alabama Gov. George Wallace blocks integration, 1963: U.S. News & World Report via Wikipedia

Little Rock integration protests, AR, 1959: Library of Congress

Jim Crow bathrooms, 1960: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Greensboro Four at Woolworth’s counter, Greensboro, NC, 1960: Jack Moebes/News & Record

Protests in front of Woolworth’s, 1960s: Truman Moore/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

African American students sit at Woolworth’s counter, 1960s: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

White passengers board bus in Montgomery, AL, 1956: Nat Farbman/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Segregated bus with sign, 1955: Tony Vaccaro/Archive Photos via Getty Images

Segregated bus seating, 1950s: Hank Walker/Getty Images

Rosa Parks on the bus, Montgomery, AL, 1955: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Rosa Parks arrested and fingerprinted, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Rosa Parks mugshot, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Alpha Historical/Alamy Stock Photo

Montgomery bus boycott, AL, 1956: Grey Villet/The LIFE Pictures Collection via Getty Images

People walking to work during bus boycott, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

Freedom Walkers, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Grey Villet/The LIFE Pictures Collection via Getty Images

African Americans board the bus from the front, Montgomery, AL, 1956: Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

Neo-Nazi hate bus, early 1960: Joe Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Freedom Riders wait to board bus, 1961:  Donald Uhrbrock/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images

White protesters block Freedom Riders bus terminal, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

White protesters slash tires on Freedom Riders bus, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Freedom Riders watch bus burn, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Freedom Riders around burned-out shell of bus, 1961: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Demonstrators repelled by fire hose, Birmingham, AL, 1963: Charles Moore/Getty Images

African American teenager attacked by police dogs, Birmingham, AL, 1963: Bill Hudson/Associated Press

Freedom Marcher with VOTE on forehead, Selma to Montgomery march, AL, 1965: Steve Schapiro/Getty Images

Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

John Lewis marching across Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL, 1965: Alabama Department of Archives and History. Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Tom Lankford, Birmingham News

Mounted police line to stop Selma, AL, civil rights marchers, 1965: Charles Moore/Getty Images

Police line to stop Selma, AL, civil rights marchers, 1965: Charles Moore/Getty Images

John Lewis marching across Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL, 1965: Alabama Department of Archives and History. Donated by Alabama Media Group/Photo by Spider Martin, Birmingham News

John Lewis beaten at Selma, AL, civil rights march, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on march to Montgomery from Selma, AL, 1965: Morton Broffman/Getty Images

Opponents to Selma, AL, marchers, 1965: William Lovelace/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. being shoved by police, 1966: Associated Press

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. arrested, 1958: Charles Moore/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in jail cell, 1962: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on March to Montgomery, AL, 1965: Ben Martin/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Soldier Field, 1966: Afro American Newspapers/Gado via Getty Images

Newspaper headline (FBI Chief calls MLK a liar), 1964: radical.org/co-globalize/MaeWanHo/

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads protest march, 1965: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

Boston Tea Party protest drawing: Charlotte M. Yonge, Young Folks History of England

Women put up poster for Votes for Women, 1914: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

“I Am A Man” protest, Memphis, TN, 1968: mccool/Alamy Stock Photo

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964: MixPix/Alamy Stock Photo

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Civil Rights Act, 1964: White House Press Office/Wikipedia

President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s hand after signing Civil Rights Act, 1964: AFP via Getty Images

Lorraine Motel at night, Memphis, TN: Henry Groskinsky/Getty Images

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Lorraine Motel, 1968: King Anniversary Photo Gallery/Associated Press

Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson with others on Lorraine Motel balcony where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, 1968: Joseph Louw/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

Assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968: Joseph Louw/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

“I Am A Man” at Lorraine Motel, Memphis, TN, 2008: Miami Herald/Getty Images

Protester wearing “He said I can’t breathe” mask, 2020: Nikolai Linares/Getty Images

Derek Chauvin mugshot, 2020: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office

Mugshots of officers charged in George Floyd’s death, 2020: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office

Overhead view of George Floyd memorial at Cup Foods, 2020: Chanda Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Woman pays respects to George Floyd at memorial site, 2020: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Terence Floyd kneels with mourners at brother George Floyd’s memorial, 2020: Eric Miller/Reuters Pictures Archives/Reuters Connect

Terence Floyd kneels in prayer at brother George Floyd’s memorial, 2020: Lucas Jackson/Reuters Marketplace-Reuters Pictures Archive/Reuters Connect

Terence Floyd falls to his knees at site of brother George Floyd’s murder scene, 2020: Stephen Maturen/Stringer/Getty Images News

Terence Floyd looks at mural of brother George Floyd, 2020: Star Tribune via Getty Images

Flowers at George Floyd memorial site, 2020: Vasanth Rajkumar via Wiki Commons

George Floyd mural and flowers at night, 2020: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images News

Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters at night with cell phones, 2020: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters with painting of George Floyd, 2020: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images News

“No Justice No Peace” sign, 2020: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Philonise Floyd emotional testimony to Congress, 2020: Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images

Philonise Floyd during testimony to Congress, 2020: Pool/Getty Images News

“I Can’t Breathe” sign on fire, 2020: Nathan Howard/Stringer/Getty Images News

Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters near burning building in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Building on fire in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Nick Woltman/MediaNews Group/Pioneer Press via Getty Images

1921 Greenwood massacre, OK: Greenwood Cultural Center

1943 Detroit race riot, MI: Bettmann Collection/Getty Images

1965 Watts riots, Los Angeles, CA: PhotoQuest/Archive Photos via Getty Images

1992 Los Angeles riots, CA: Gary Leonard/Corbis via Getty Images

2020 riots in Minnesota: Star Tribune via Getty Images

Shipping containers, “This is for George Floyd,” 2020: Adam Bettcher/Alamy Stock Photo

Minneapolis protesters outside burning Arby’s, MN, 2020: John Minchillo/Associated Press

Protesters in Ferguson, MO, 2014: Scott Olson/Getty Images News

Man with fist in air in front of burning building, 2020: Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images

American flag in front of burning building, 2020: Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Burning building in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Nick Woltman/MediaNewsGroup/Pioneer Press via Getty Images

Aftermath of riot in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Man walks past charred wreckage in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Man rides scooter past charred wreckage in Minneapolis, MN, 2020: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Boarded up store after looters emptied store, 2020: Javier Tovar/AFP via Getty Images

Black Lives Matter (BLM) marchers cross Edmund Pettus Bridge, 2015: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

“No More Silence” sign, 2020: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Woman in mask, “More Scared of a Racist World Than a Pandemic,” 2020: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

“Say Their Names” protest sign, 2020: Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images

George Floyd and Breonna Taylor mural, Louisville, KY, 2020: Neysa Page-Lieberman

“No More Normal” on wall, 2020: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Man sees loved one through window, 2020: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Boy at window in mask, smiling, 2020: Juanmonino/Getty Images

Woman transfers body from hospital, 2020: Misha Friedman/Getty Images

Covid-19 bodies in caskets, 2020: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Nurses comfort each other, 2020: DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Man peers around border wall, 2006: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Donald Trump holds MAGA rally, 2019: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Migrant with child at river checkpoint climbing wall, 2018: Edgard Garrido/Reuters Connect

Couple climbs border wall with child, 2018: Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

Men and children in cages at border, 2019: Office of Inspector General/Department of Homeland Security via Getty Images

Migrant children in caravan, 2018: Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump inspects border wall, San Luis, AZ, 2020: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Child cries at border, McAllen, TX, 2018: John Moore/Getty Images

Child colors “Black Lives Matter” sign, 2020: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Katherine Johnson’s equation for Flight-Path Angle of a Reentry Vehicle in the Upper Atmosphere, 1962: NASA

Katherine Johnson, 1962: NASA Langley Research Center

Buzz Aldrin on the moon, 1969: NASA

9/11 aerial shot of collapsed World Trade Center towers, New York, NY, 2001: NYPD Aviation Department, Det. Greg Semendinger

Secret Service agent carries woman to ambulance after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Thomas Monaster/NY Daily New Archive via Getty Images

Firefighters carry injured man after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Todd Maisel/NY Daily News Archives via Getty Images

Firefighters carry fallen firefighter to safety after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Matt Moyer/Corbis via Getty Images

Exhausted firefighters take a break after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: ZUMA Press/Alamy Stock Photos

Firefighters embrace after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Matt Moyer/Corbis via Getty Images

Fireman Dan Potter rests on city bench after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Matt Moyer/Corbis via Getty Images

Rubble of 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Porter Gifford/Corbis via Getty Images

Woman covered in dust and ash after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images

Man walks through ash after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Doug Kanter/AFP via Getty Images

Man standing amid ash after 9/11 attack, New York, NY, 2001: Doug Kanter/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump supporter holds anti-Muslim sign, 2016: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

“White Power” hand signals, 2020: Ted S. Warren/​AP/​Shutterstock

Cartoon image of Donald Trump: doamama/Vector/Shutterstock

Tiki torch marchers at Charlottesville, VA, 2017: Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Victim of Charlottesville car attack, VA, 2017: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Injured protester from Charlottesville, VA, 2017: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Man sits on curb in front of boarded up store, 2020: Aaron Lavinski/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Cleaning up after riots, 2015: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

People working together to clean up after riots, 1992: Tony Barnard/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Kids and adults clean up their communities, 1992: Visions of America LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

Ceasefire Chicago protests, 1999: Christian K Lee/Associated Press

Early voting during a pandemic, 2020: Sean Rayford for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Vice President Joe Biden, 2020: Patrick Semansky/Shutterstock

Woman with “Yes We Can” sign, 2008: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

U.S. Representative John McCain, 2010: Christopher Holloran/Shutterstock

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2009: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

Former U.S. Presidents in Oval Office, 2009: Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images

Tommie Smith & John Carlos, 1968 Olympics: Associated Press

NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneels on sidelines, 2016: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Mercury Fever kneel for national anthem, 2016: Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Los Angeles Lakers kneel in playoffs, 2020: Kim Klement/Associated Press

Police officers in Florida “take a knee,” 2020: Eva Maria Uzcategui/Getty Images

New York Police Chief hugs protester, 2020: SOPA Images/Getty Images

President Barack Obama and U.S. Representative John Lewis embrace on Edmund Pettus Bridge, 50th Anniversary, Selma, AL, 2015: Official White House Photo taken by Pete Souza

John Lewis’ casket and carriage cross John Lewis Bridge, 2020: Nathan Posner/Shutterstock

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument, 2020: Michael Moretti

“Love Trumps Hate” sign, 2017: Glynnis Jones/Shutterstock

“Make America Kind Again,” 2017: Imgur/RedAstronaut83

Video Credits

Bald eagle in tree: blackboxguild/Adobe Stock

Close up of bald eagle: andamanec/Shutterstock

Bald eagle taking off from tree: Doug Jensen/Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: blackboxguild/Adobe Stock

U.S. troops raising the flag on Iwo Jima, 1945: Courtesy of Department of Defense

Troop ship Thomas Barry bringing soldiers to New York from World War II, 1945: Critical Past

Wounded soldiers returning home to the USA from World War II, 1945: Courtesy of Department of Defense

Families welcome soldiers home from World War II, 1945: Courtesy of Department of Defense

Men and women celebrate VJ Day in streets, 1945: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Family rushes to meet returning soldier, 1945: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Soldier greeting little girl with “Welcome Home” sign, 1945: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access Collection via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: blackboxguild/Adobe Stock

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Free at last!,” 1963: Rick Ray/ Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access Collection via Getty Images

Greenwood Avenue 1920s Cars Driving in Street, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Men walking on sidewalk of Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Women walking around Cab Bottling Truck, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Man working in clothing store, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Man working in barber shop, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Unknown Credit

Woman working on telephone switchboard, OK, 1920s: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Naomi Long Madgett

Men walking out of shop with guns, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Trucks driving down the street, Tulsa, OK, 1920s: Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Naomi Long Madgett

Black men getting out of truck, 1920s: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Black men standing with guns, 1920s: PBS

White men battering courthouse door, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Bi-wing airplane flying solo, 1920s: Australian War Memorial

Men in plane dropping bomb, 1920s: Australian War Memorial

Bombs falling from sky and exploding on town, 1920s: Australian War Memorial

Mt. Zion Baptist Church on fire, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Unknown

Man kicks at a pile of rubble after race riot, Tulsa, OK, 1921: Excerpts from Solomon Sir Jones Films courtesy of the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access via Getty Images

Emmett Till’s funeral, 1955: PBS Experience

Mamie Till speech, “I am not afraid,” 1955: Unknown

Audio clip of Governor George Wallace’s inauguration speech, 1963: Alabama Department of Archives and History

Video and audio of the Selma to Montgomery March with John Lewis, 1965: Unknown

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last speech, Memphis, TN, April 4, 1968: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Bald eagle soaring in sky: Wild Eye Productions/Shutterstock

Body cam footage of George Floyd’s murder, 2020: Minneapolis Police Department

Cell phone footage from a witness to George Floyd’s murder, 2020: Courtesy of Darnella Frazier

Mourners at George Floyd memorial, 2020: AFPTV via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: huresilie/Shutterstock

Philonise Floyd testifies to Congress, 2020: CSPAN

Police footage of Eric Garner’s death, 2014: New York Daily News via Getty Images

Beating of Robert Johnson, 2018: Mesa Police Department

Shooting of Terence Crutcher, 2016: Tulsa Police Department

Shooting of Philando Castile, 2016: Minnesota Police Department

Smothering of Daniel Prude, 2020: Rochester Police Department

Police beating protesters, 2020: Matt McGorry via Twitter

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: Mark O’Connell Exclusive/Pond 5/Adobe Stock

Civil Rights activist John Lewis at March on Washington, 1963: Unknown

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963: James Blue for the U.S. National Archives

Commitment March on Washington, 2020: CSPAN

Coronavirus animation: VectorFusionArt/Adobe Stock

Glaciers melting and falling into ocean: Bruce Aspley/Shutterstock

Hurricane rips roof off house: Cinematic Storm Footage/Shutterstock

Flood in Louisiana: Nexstar/WGNO New Orleans via Getty Images

Aerial view of forest fire: BlackBoxGuild/Shutterstock

Helicopter over forest fire: Rick Ray/Shutterstock

Donald Trump shoves his way in front of NATO leaders, 2017: Unknown

Protesters in front of St. John’s church, Washington, DC: Nicole Glass Photography/Shutterstock

Donald Trump walks to Lafayette Park, Washington, DC, 2020: C-SPAN

Bald eagle flying: huresilie/Shutterstock

Apollo 11 astronauts, 1969: NASA

Apollo 11 rocket takes off, 1969: NASA

Mission Control for Apollo 11, 1969: NASA

Apollo 11 rocket lift-off, 1969: NASA

NASA staff watch Apollo 11 launch, 1969: NASA

Apollo 11 rocket, 1969: NASA

President Barack Obama gives Medal of Freedom to Katherine Johnson, 2015: WhiteHouse.gov

Car plows into protesters in Charlottesville, NC, 2017: Evan Henderson

Voting via mail: VideoLand/Shutterstock

Bald eagle flying: BBC Natural History via Getty

Jackie Robinson at bat, 1940s: npatou via YouTube

Police and protesters face each other in street and kneel, 2020: Fayetteville, NC, Police Department

John Lewis’ casket going over Edmund Pettus Bridge in carriage, 2020: C-SPAN

Bald eagle flying: Mark O’Connell/ Adobe Stock

Bald eagle flying: Discovery Access via Getty Images

Bald eagle flying: Smithsonian Collection via Getty Images

Robert F. Kennedy announces death of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968: Unknown

Bald eagle landing on a rock: Echo Films/Getty Images

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

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