"Inspired by a true story, this made-for-cable drama is set in 1965, not long after passage of the Civil Rights Act. To the African-American citizens of Bogalusa, LA, however, it is "business as usual"; they are still treated like third-class citizens, their fundamental rights as human beings persistently trampled by the white power structure, in general, and the local branch of the KKK, in particular. Like many of the local black men, war veteran Marcus (Forest Whitaker) works in the town's mill for meager wages, and must endure the ongoing humiliation meted out by his white supervisors. But when he is beaten up by the police for the "outrage" of trying to defend his own daughter, Marcus is pushed too far. Encouraged by an idealistic white Northerner (Jonathan Silverman), Marcus organizes the Deacons, an all-black defense group dedicated to patrolling the black section of town and protecting its residents from the more violent aspects of "white backlash." Telecast during Black History Month, Deacons for Defense first aired over the Showtime cable network on February 16, 2003." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"A 2002 Australian drama film based on the book - Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. It concerns the author's mother, and two other young mixed-race Aboriginal girls, who ran away from the Moore River Native Settlement, north of Perth, in which they were placed in 1931, in order to return to their Aboriginal families. The film follows the girls as they trek/walk for nine weeks along 1,500 miles (2414km) of the Australian rabbit-proof fence to return to their community at Jigalong while being tracked by a white authority figure and a black tracker."

"The year is 1973, and Jim Ellis (Terence Howard), a college-educated African-American, can´t find a job. Driven by his love of competitive swimming, Jim fixes up an abandoned recreational pool hall in a Philadelphia slum with the help of Elston (Bernie Mac), a local janitor. But when the pool hall is marked for demolition, Jim fights back - by starting the city´s first African-American swim team. Recruiting troubled teens from the streets, Jim struggles to transform a motley team of novices into capable swimmers - all in time for the upcoming state championships. But as racism, violence and an unsympathetic city official threaten to tear the team apart, Jim must do everything he can to convince his swimmers that victory, both in and out of the pool, is within their reach..."

"While being born with physical handicaps presents challenges no matter where you're born or under what economic circumstances, in many respects it's even more difficult when you're raised in Ghana, a Third World nation where much of the country's population lives in severe poverty and conventional wisdom has it that those born with physical deformities have been cursed by the gods, and are fit to do little more than eke out a living as beggars. Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah was a 27-year-old Ghanan who was born with only one leg; the shame led his father to abandon the family, but his mother was determined to see her son grow up with strength and dignity, and with the help of a prosthetic leg, Yeboah was able to walk and care for himself. Determined to show his countrymen that the handicapped were capable of more than most were willing to acknowledge, Yeboah contacted an American organization called the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and with their help, set out on an unusual quest -- learning to ride a racing bike, and then piloting it across the nation of Ghana. Emmanuel's Gift is a documentary which chronicles Yeboah's remarkable life and his courageous journey, as well as the impact it had on his family as well as on handicapped people throughout the African continent. Oprah Winfrey serves as narrator. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide"

"In the 1920s, the rights of American workers to join a labor union was still considered an open question, and African-Americans were routinely denied their civil and economic rights. So in 1925, when journalist and political activist Asa Philip Randolph and railway car porter Ashley Totten formed the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, it was a bold gesture which proved to have a major impact in both labor and race relations in America. 10,000 Black Men Named George is a made-for-cable feature which dramatizes the struggle of Randolph (played by Andre Braugher) and Totten (Mario Van Peebles) to organize railway porters -- a demanding and sometimes dangerous job which was held almost exclusively by black men, who were paid low wages for demanding hours -- against the staunch opposition of Barton Davis (Kenneth McGreggor), head of the Pullman railway company and a fierce opponent of both unionization and civil rights initiatives. 10,000 Black Men Named George (the title refers to the fact Pullman porters were often called "George" by white passengers, which was considered a racial slur) also features Charles S. Dutton as Milton Webster, a veteran porter who joined the fight to organize; Carla Brothers as Lucille Randolph, Asa's wife who would play a major role in the early years of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; and Brock Peters as Leon Frey, an early member of the who would in time betray their cause. Directed by Robert Townsend, the film was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, where it first aired on February 24, 2002. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide"