PBS has released a new documentary Boss: The Black Experience in Business which highlights the entrepreneurial drive and business acumen of African Americans in America. Directed and produced by Peabody and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson, the film examines more than 150 years of African Americans who, from the country’s earliest days, have embodied the qualities of innovation, risk-taking, and determination to forge a path toward a better life. The film features the stories of entrepreneurs Madam C.J. Walker, publisher John H. Johnson, Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Cathy Hughes, Vernon Jordan, and many more.
According to the description on PBS: “Learn about the untold story of African American entrepreneurship, where skill, industriousness, ingenuity and sheer courage in the face of overwhelming odds provide the backbone of this nation’s economic and social growth. The history of business and entrepreneurship lies at the heart of the American story, but often absent are the names and experiences of African Americans who, from the country’s earliest days, have embodied the qualities of innovation, risk-taking and determination to forge a path toward a better life – which is at the heart of the American entrepreneurial spirit.”
“African-Americans have played a central role in the history of American business, but their stories are often left untold,” Nelson said. “Today, as we see talented black businessmen and women not only building successful companies in mainstream America but also emerging as managers and CEOs for some of the most powerful corporate entities in the world.”
Boss: The Black Experience in Business premiered on April 23rd and is available for streaming on PBS. Check out the trailer below.
