Amjad Rabah

Dear Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Your documentary was outstanding! The entire time my class was watching your piece, it was filled with really deep explanations of what happened in our history. ” Many Rivers To Cross” was the best documentary about the african american struggle, especially with the films taken at that time period.
Honestly from the many articles I have read before, I don’t think that they were as specific. Although, your documentary ” Many Rivers To Cross” was extremely on point with amazing graphics. Also, I like how you zoomed in on certain topics/time periods.
I learned a lot from your movie such as, what happened after slavery like the horrible Bloody Sunday and how racism even started! Not to mention, the beginning of Motown. The movie took its time on the parts which is important on big topics/subjects.
I think that it still wasn’t fair that the North won the war, yet people still were racist and segregation was still there. This supports the fact that after The Civil War, Blacks still couldn’t do everything they wanted and weren’t equal! Also it’s strange that they killed Martin Luther King Jr., the man who believed in peace first, instead of killing Malcolm X the one who wanted to fight back!
In ” Many Rivers To Cross” there was sorrow and joy. To me, it seemed everything good just disappeared. That’s the sorrowful part. Afterwards, it seemed something else, that’s good like a solution or person, took the other things or person’s place. That was the joy in the movie.
Lastly about emotions … Your movie had some horror. Well in my opinion at least. After the war, blacks were being killed for no reason except for the fact that some people weren’t ready for the change that would forever affect the earth.
In my opinion, again, I think that everyone should see your movie. I’m pretty sure that there still are people who think that slavery wasn’t that bad. Infact, I knew it was bad but not THAT bad. So many things happened that I never knew about.
I think that you had other films in your documentary ” Many Rivers To Cross” but how did you get them? I mean, those films must be really old, so did you get them? From a friend, or a sibling? Did you find them somewhere? Also, answering is optional, I know you’re a busy man.
Honestly, I felt strange on the part when people were expressing what they feel and what they wanted to say with rap, jazz and etc. As well as the part with the Black Panthers and black power!!!
In the movie, I thought that there was one really good quote. That quote was ” the civil rights movement would have been a bird without wings without the media” and in my opinion, it’s true. Without the media, no one would have known what was happening and in fact I would be one of those people, all I do all day is play video games so.
The thing that happen on the bridge was just plain cruel. Also, it I thought it was smart of them to retreat when the police finally told them they could pass, because it probably was a set up.
” Many Rivers To Cross” is filled with some of the most amazing and surprising events that happened in history. For example, when the black lady who got caught killed her children so that they wouldn’t go to jail or become slaves!
I was surprised about the part when Ruby Bridges actually got to go to an all white school considering the facts of what happened after the Civil War at the beginning. It was extremely smart of them to send police officers with her, after all, there were actually tons of people protesting about her going to school.
I felt the underground railroad was an important part of the future to the Blacks people. It helped thousands of people escape. Also, there was a part of the underground railroad under plymouth church and my class actually got to go see some of the underground railroad! it was pretty dirty and dusty but what else would I expect really, its pretty old.
In conclusion, I thought your movie was again amazing and wonderful. The facts that I stated above, are just barely a fraction of all the outstanding facts and films that were included in “ Many Rivers To Cross”. Lastly, I just want to say thank you very much for taking some time to read my piece and to create one of the best pieces ever and one of the worlds best films … “ Many Rivers To Cross “
Sincerely Amjad Rabah