History on DVD

It’s May, and I’m starting to think about summer and the holiday that unofficially starts it all off – Memorial Day. I’m not really into history, but I have found myself becoming more interested as I get older. I think it may be because I have a better perspective now than before - more time has passed from history meaning school projects and long days in class. But, back to Memorial Day – I recently learned about the beginning of Memorial Day by watching Henry Louis Gates’ The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross – an excellent series! Dr. Gates is such a pleasure to listen to. That made me start thinking about other documentary series that I have enjoyed.

Another series by Dr. Gates is The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song. I learned so much about the importance and history of the Church in African American communities. I never knew that the Church was so much more than religion – a school, a place to prepare for a career, an extended family and support system.

Other very good but disturbing documentaries about what African Americans have faced due to racism include The Blinding of Isaac Woodard and Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten.

Thinking about historical documentaries, Ken Burns immediately comes to mind. I loved watching The Civil War with my dad when it was on television many years ago. This was my first realization that history could be enjoyable. The combination of the narrators, haunting music, and Shelby Foote’s accent made me want to learn more.

When Ken Burns’ The Roosevelts: An Intimate History came out on DVD, I decided to watch it. This is probably my biggest history surprise – I really enjoyed it and it’s one of my favorite documentaries. I only had a very superficial knowledge of Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt prior to seeing it and got a good idea of them as people and not just as presidents.

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is another great Ken Burns documentary. If you’ve read my past blog posts, you’ll know I like hiking and the outdoors. Burns takes you on a journey from the idea of creating the parks to 1980. When it came out, I had been to seven national parks, so it was especially neat for me to watch.

Documentaries I’ve found interesting that are history but with a health focus include The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science; The Polio Crusade; The Forgotten Plague; Influenza, 1918. You really can’t go wrong with anything from PBS’s American Experience series.

My latest foray into history was – Ken Burns again – The US and the Holocaust. Required viewing to understand what the country was like at that time and gain a much greater understanding of the policies governing immigration.

Many of the documentaries listed have companion books in both physical and digital copies. Click on the links above to see all the formats available to you at the Mercer County Library System.

- by Andrea, Hopewell Branch