In our ongoing That’s Entertainment series we bring you an epic true story that we all should know about. It’s the “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”
This is a documentary that examines what has been hailed as The Black Woodstock. The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival was only 100 miles away from Woodstock during the same weekend, and while both were filmed, the footage from The Harlem Cultural Festival was never brought to light until now – 50 years after the show took place.
The festival featured soul, blues, pop, funk, gospel and more. It included performances from Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and so many more. You will even see Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson do their thing. The Black Panthers were on hand for security, but the festival was about God, love, peace and unity.
You will hear about the leaders that were an influence in the black community: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy. “Summer of Soul” shows that white and black and all other races and religions can be one together, no matter what your walk of life. Absolutely a beautiful documentary that is mesmerizing.
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Directed by Questlove and pulled from a basement where it sat for 50 years, “Summer of Soul” is absolutely one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. I love the music and the culture, and I definitely shed a few tears watching this. I really hope people get to see this amazing documentary that covers a huge part of our history that’s been forgotten by most of America.
Please, if you see it, share to the world that you have. It’s something that should be seen and not forgotten. The Harlem Cultural Festival was and is a beautiful thing.
You can check out “Summer of Soul” in theaters and on Hulu now.
