| Profiles of African-American Success | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Frances Presley-Rice | 
| Presented by | Various | 
| Country of origin | United States | 
| No. of seasons | 7 | 
| No. of episodes | 20 | 
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Frances Presley-Rice Bayer Mack  | 
| Running time | 2-4 minutes per episode | 
| Production company | Block Starz Music Television | 
| Original release | |
| Network | BSMTV | 
| Release | 2014 – present  | 
Profiles of African-American Success is an American documentary web series produced by Frances Presley-Rice and filmmaker Bayer Mack for their production company Block Starz Music Television. The documentary series features short biographies of African-American businesses and entrepreneurs.
Development
Profiles of African-American Success was originally developed by executive producer Frances Presley-Rice in conjunction with The Washington Times as a ten-part weekly video series for Dr. Ben Carson's digital magazine, American CurrentSee.[1] The series is now distributed exclusively by BSMTV through its official website, Vimeo and YouTube channels and on various community television stations.[2] During the promotion for his documentary film, The Czar of Black Hollywood, director Bayer Mack said his goal with Profiles of African-American Success was to carry on The Czar of Black Hollywood's theme of celebrating black Americans who succeeded in the face of Jim Crow and other challenges.[3]
Featured profiles
Profiles of African-American Success has featured the following black entrepreneurs and institutions:
- Junius G. Groves: Gilded Age Business Magnate
 - Robert S. Abbott: Millionaire Newspaper Publisher
 - Jeremiah G. Hamilton: The Dark Prince of Wall Street
 - Harry H. Pace: America's First Black Record Label Owner
 - Frederick D. Patterson: America's Only Black Car Manufacturer
 - Homer B. Roberts: America's First Black Auto Dealer
 - Reginald F. Lewis: America's First Black Billion Dollar Businessman
 - Paul R. Williams: Architect to the Stars
 - Don H. Barden: King of Detroit
 - Richard "Dick" Griffey: Music Industry Kingpin
 - Alpha Kappa Alpha: A Legacy of Sisterhood and Service
 - Sylvia Robinson: Mother of Hip-Hop
 - Gamble and Huff: The Sound of Philadelphia
 - The Million Man March: 20 Year Anniversary
 - Miss Black America: The Pageant Changed History
 - Vee-Jay Records: Most Successful Black Owned Label Before Motown
 - George E. Johnson, Sr.: First Black Company on American Stock Exchange
 - Cathy L. Hughes: First Black Woman to Head a Publicly-traded Company
 - Jerry Lawson: A Black Man Developed the First Cartridge Video Game Console
 - Black Journal: America's Most Dangerous Public Television Show
 
Narrators
Season 1 of Profiles of African-American Success was presented by William Bell, who had worked with the producers on The Czar of Black Hollywood. Seasons 2 and 3 employed relatively unknown African-American voice actors and actresses. The premiere episode for Season 4 features narration by noted media professional Dyana Williams in a tribute to her friend, Radio One founder Cathy Hughes.[4]
Reception
The critical and public response to the documentary series has been generally favorable with many praising its effort to showcase positive aspects of the African-American experience.[5][6][7][8]
References
- ↑  ACS Bio. "Homer B. Roberts: America's First Black Auto Dealer". WashingtonTimes.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-12. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ Lily Bouvier (2016-01-30). "This Week on TV: Black History Month commences". CCTV.org. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
 - ↑ Michael Neary (2014-10-15). "It's a treasure trove of black social history". NewsAdvance.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
 - ↑ Shared (2017-03-11). "Cathy Hughes on Twitter: "Thank you to my dear friend @DyanaWilliams..."". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
 - ↑ Staff (2016-04-16). "Sylvia Robinson: Mother of Hip Hop and the Real Cookie Lyon of Empire [VIDEO]". BlackThen.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
 - ↑ EURPublisher (2015-01-14). "Watch Block Starz Video Tribute to the Sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha". EURWeb.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
 - ↑ Posted (2016-05-16). "Did You Know America's First Black Billion Dollar Businessman Was A Nupe?". WatchtheYard.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
 - ↑ Kate Kelly (2016-12-07). "Johnson Products, 1st Black Co. on American Stock Exchange, New Documentary Short". HuffingtonPost.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
 
External links