CELEBRATE THE DREAM: FIFTY YEARS OF EBONY (TV)

Summary

This special program celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Ebony magazine, a publication dedicated to the African-American community. Host Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities review fifty years of American history, as depicted in Ebony magazine, through film montages, commentary, comic and musical performances. The program is divided into sections by decade, beginning with the year of Ebony's first publication. After an opening gospel performance by Whitney Houston and the Georgia Mass Choir, Winfrey reviews the time period from 1945 to 1955, pointing out notable events and people including: Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche and Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks; the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education; the debut novels of Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin; and Jackie Robinson's integration of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Will Smith and Whoopi Goldberg then introduce a film segment concerning the history of black comedy, with clips of performers such as Dick Gregory, "Moms" Mabley, Redd Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor. Then, Arsenio Hall introduces singers Lou Rawls, Smokey Robinson, and Brandy, who all perform a medley of R&B hits, including songs such as "Sweet Thing," "Sex Machine," "You Send Me," and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."

Sinbad then makes a comic tribute to Ebony magazine, recalling the important role of the publication in African-American history. Ossie Davis reviews the period from 1955 to 1965, with a focus on the following highlights: the birth of rock & roll music; Althea Gibson's triumph at Wimbledon; Cassius Clay's triumph over Sonny Liston; the rise and fall of John F. Kennedy; the Broadway run of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"; Sidney Poitier's Oscar-winning role in "Lilies of the Field"; and the march on Washington. Winfrey then introduces a film segment which reviews the achievements of African-Americans in television, including clips of the following programs: "The Beulah Show," "Julia," "Sanford and Son," "The Jeffersons," "The Cosby Show," "In Living Color," "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman," "Roots," "The Piano Lesson," and "The Tuskegee Airmen." After Debbie Allen makes comments about her recollections of growing up with Ebony magazine, and singer Luther Vandross performs, Martin Sheen gives an overview of the decade from 1965 to 1975. He notes the following highlights: Thurgood Marshall's Supreme Court appointment; and Shirley Chisolm's election to the House of Representatives; the Watts riot; and Hank Aaron's major league record. Bill Cosby then pays tribute to pioneering figures in sports, and presents a film segment honoring the achievements of black athletes.

Cosby is joined onstage by Mrs. Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Florence Griffith Joyner, Meadowlark Lemon, and Muhammad Ali. Cicely Tyson talks about the decade starting in 1975, pointing out notable events such as the birth of disco; public acclaim for both Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" and Alex Haley's "Roots"; the U.S. bicentennial; Vanessa Williams's crowning as Miss America; the Broadway run of "Dreamgirls"; and Rev. Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign. Dick Clark then introduces a performance by The Four Tops. Next, Martin Luther King III and Rory Kennedy pay tribute to the individuals who were part of the civil rights movement, after which Patti LaBelle sings "Abraham, Martin and John." Halle Berry presents a film segment honoring African-American achievement in cinema, including clips of the following movies: "Carmen Jones," "Lady Sings the Blues," "Ghost," "Boyz N the Hood," "Do The Right Thing," and "Waiting to Exhale." Winfrey returns to discuss the period from 1985 to 1995, pointing out the rise of computer technology, the contributions that Ron Brown, Michael Jordan, and General Colin Powell have made to society, as well as the popularity of rap music, and the message of the Million Man March. The program concludes with a grand finale performance featuring Stevie Wonder, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Ebony founder, chairman, and CEO John H. Johnson. Includes commercials, promos, and public service announcements. Includes a commercial with Steve Harvey for Denny's, and public service announcements with Blair Underwood for Children First and Joanne Woodward for the Environmental Defense Fund. This program is closed-captioned.

Details

NETWORK: ABC
DATE: November 28, 1996 9:00 PM
RUNNING TIME: 1:55:44
COLOR/B&W: Color
CATALOG ID: T:46873
GENRE: Specials
SUBJECT HEADING: African - Americans; Blacks - History; Blacks - Literature; Blacks - Sports; Blacks in the performing arts; Blacks in TV; African-American Collection - News/Talk
SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1996
COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T telecommunications
- TV - Commercials - American Airlines
- TV - Commercials - Chrysler automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Coca Cola beverage
- TV - Commercials - Denny's fast-food
- TV - Commercials - Die Hard car batteries
- TV - Commercials - Fashion Fair cosmetics
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - GM trucks and "A Slave Ship Speaks" historical exhibition
- TV - Commercials - Hanes stockings
- TV - Commercials - Jeep automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Kodak film
- TV - Commercials - Maxwell House coffee
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's fast-food and "101 Dalmatians" (feature film)
- TV - Commercials - Miller brewing company
- TV - Commercials - Money Gram wiring service
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Sprite beverage
- TV - PSA - Air Force
- TV - PSA - Children First
- TV - PSA - Environmental Defense Fund
- TV - PSA - Partnership for a Drug-Free America
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "ABC Sports"
- TV - Promos - "America's Funniest Home Videos"
- TV - Promos - "Boy Meets World"
- TV - Promos - "Clueless"
- TV - Promos - "Dangerous Minds"
- TV - Promos - "Ellen"
- TV - Promos - "Family Matters"
- TV - Promos - "Grace Under Fire"
- TV - Promos - "Home Improvement"
- TV - Promos - "Life's Work"
- TV - Promos - "NYPD Blue"
- TV - Promos - "Roseanne"
- TV - Promos - "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch"
- TV - Promos - "Spin City"
- TV - Promos - "Suddenly"
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "Townies"
- TV - Promos - "Vanessa Williams & Friends Christmas in New York"

CREDITS

Jeff Margolis … Executive Producer, Director
Douglass M. Stewart, Jr. … Coordinating Producer
John Hamlin … Producer
Gloria Fujita O'Brien … Producer
Mick McCullough … Producer
Benn Fleishman … Associate Producer
Susan Abramson … Talent Producer
Debbie Allen … Consulting Producer
Deirdre Dix … Film Segment Producer
Lauren Walker … Film Segment Producer
Frank Agnone … Film Segment Producer
Wendy Charles Acey … Direction (Misc.) , Associate Director
Stephen Pouliot … Writer
Rita Cash … Writer
Tom Scott … Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Director
Diane Louie … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Supervisor
Ricky Minor … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Supervisor
Four Tops, The … Music Group
Georgia Mass Choir, The … Music Group
Michael Bolton … Singer
Whitney Houston … Singer
Patti LaBelle … Singer
Brandy Norwood … Singer
Lou Rawls … Singer
Smokey Robinson … Singer
Luther Vandross … Singer
Stevie Wonder … Singer
Oprah Winfrey … Host
Lawrence Tanter … Announcer
Reg. E. Cathey … Announcer
Sinbad … Performer
Ali, Muhammad (See also: Clay, Cassius) … Guest
Debbie Allen … Guest
Halle Berry … Guest
Jim Brown … Guest
Dick Clark … Guest
Bill Cosby … Guest
Ossie Davis … Guest
Whoopi Goldberg … Guest
Arsenio Hall … Guest
Jesse Jackson … Guest
John H. Johnson … Guest
Rory Kennedy … Guest
Martin Luther King III … Guest
Meadowlark Lemon … Guest
Will Smith … Guest
Cicely Tyson … Guest
Hank Aaron
James Baldwin
Gwendolyn Brooks
Ron Brown
Ralph Bunche
Shirley Chisolm
Ralph Ellison
Redd Foxx
Althea Gibson
Dick Gregory
Michael Jordan
Florence Griffith Joyner
Alex Haley
Lorraine Hansberry
John F. Kennedy
Sonny Liston
Jackie "Moms" Mabley
Thurgood Marshall
Eddie Murphy
Colin Powell
Jackie Robinson
Vanessa Williams