Stanley Nelson photo

🎬 Director

Stanley Nelson

Age · 70 Born · Jul 7, 1955 From · New York City, New York, USA Films · 25

🎬 IMDb ▶ Watch movies

Biography

Stanley Earl Nelson Jr. (born June 7, 1951) is an American documentary filmmaker and a MacArthur Fellow known as a director, writer and producer of documentaries examining African-American history and experiences. He is a recipient of the 2013 National Humanities Medal from President Obama. He has won three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Among his notable films are Freedom Riders (2010), Wounded Knee (2009), Jonestown: The Life & Death of People's Temple (2006), Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice (2005), A Place of Our Own (2004), The Murder of Emmett Till (2003), and The Black Press: Soldiers without Swords (1998).

Known for

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom poster

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom

Attica poster

Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre poster

Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre

Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy poster

Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy

Career timeline

2025

Critical Condition: Health in Black America

We Want the Funk!

2024

San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood

2023

Sound of the Police

2022

Becoming Frederick Douglass

2021

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom

Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre

2020

2019

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool Notable

BOSS: The Black Experience in Business

2018

The Story of Access

2017

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

2015

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution Notable

2014

Freedom Summer Notable

2012

Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas

2010

Freedom Riders Notable

2006

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple Notable

2004

A Place of Our Own Notable

Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise

2003

The Murder of Emmett Till Notable

2001

Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind Notable

1999

The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords

1987

Two Dollars and A Dream: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker

Frequently appears with

Full filmography

Critical Condition: Health in Black America poster

Critical Condition: Health in Black America

We Want the Funk! poster

We Want the Funk!

San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood poster

San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood

Sound of the Police poster

Sound of the Police

Becoming Frederick Douglass poster

Becoming Frederick Douglass

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom poster

Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom

Attica poster

Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre poster

Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre

Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy poster

Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy

Vick poster

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool poster

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

BOSS: The Black Experience in Business poster

BOSS: The Black Experience in Business

The Story of Access poster

The Story of Access

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

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

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution poster

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

Freedom Summer poster

Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas poster

Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas

Freedom Riders poster

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple poster

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

A Place of Our Own poster

A Place of Our Own

Continue exploring

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Curated collectionsMovies by mood & theme

Harriet Tubman: Visions of FView movie page

AtticaView movie page