Emceed by Jesse Jackson and with a line-up featuring Sly & the Family Stone, B.B. King, the Staples Singers, Nina Simone and Mahalia Jackson among others. The security was provided by the Black Panthers, a job said to have been declined by New York Police Department. Coming in the same famous summer of Woodstock, this major music event seems to have been forgotten by many untill recently, when after more than 35 years, pristine footage shot by Hal Tulchin, the festival organiser as well as a well-known producer and director, has come to light. Now, filmmakers Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon are working on the footage in order to edit it into a feature-length film, under the working title "Harlem '69". Along with performance footage, the filmmakers plan to put the concerts in context of its historical relevance through interviews with surviving participants. Producers also hope to develop further projects from the footage, which includes the full performances by each act.
{youtube width="100%"}65rz61qOwhc{/youtube}
I discovered it through a friend, when he posted footage of Nina Simone performing at it, footage you can still find on youtube and a must for any Simone fan.
Part 1 is above, apologies for the quality. Can someone please hurry up and release it so we can watch it properly?
