You are here:

Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities

Name: Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
Director: Stanley Nelson
Released: 2017
Duration: 85 min

Representation Score

8.9/10

Excellent

2017

Director

Stanley Nelson

Runtime

85 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Stanley Nelson’s documentary is a powerful reclamation of history that centers Black intellectual sovereignty. By focusing on the unique architecture of HBCUs, the film successfully disrupts traditional, white-centric educational narratives. It moves beyond simple inclusion to present these institutions as vital sites of resistance. While the film excels in racial and cultural depth, it remains narrow in its scope regarding other multi-layered identities. The narrative prioritizes the collective struggle for racial equity over individual explorations of gender non-conformity or disability. Ultimately, the work serves as a profound examination of institutional resilience. It provides a necessary counter-narrative to the standard American educational canon by highlighting the ability to act of Black scholars and leaders.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The documentary focuses on the historical and institutional evolution of HBCUs. It does not prominently feature LGBTQ+ or non-binary identities in its main storyline.

How does Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities portray gender?

Good

The film highlights women who have held significant leadership and intellectual positions. By featuring female administrators and scholars, the narrative challenges traditional hierarchies that typically center male authority.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities?

Excellent

This is the film's primary strength, centering almost entirely on Black identity. It presents a majority-Black intellectual landscape, reclaiming a history that was systematically suppressed.

How does Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The documentary critiques the segregated American educational system of the Jim Crow era. It frames the struggle for education through identity-based power dynamics and autonomous cultural spaces.

Does Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities include disability representation?

Fair

The film addresses socioeconomic and systemic barriers but lacks a dedicated focus on visible or invisible disabilities. Representation remains centered on racial and institutional history.

Present on Screen

Exceptional centering of Black identity and ability to act throughout the narrative.
Sophisticated critique of systemic oppression and segregated educational histories.
Effective subversion of traditional hierarchies by highlighting female leadership and scholars.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit visibility for LGBTQ+ and non-binary identities.
Minimal focus on the representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
Narrower scope regarding multi-layered identities outside of racial and gendered leadership.

Official Synopsis

A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries—and path of promise toward the American dream—Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. They have been unapologetically Black for 150 years. For the first time ever, their story is told.

How are these scores produced? →