Educational Media Reviews Online

This film offers a look at a little-known piece of history: the struggles of African American autoworkers to unionize in the late 1960s. It is brought to life through a variety of speakers, voice-overs, stills, and film. Made in 1970, it provides a primary source for the study of this particular era in labor relations.

The greater part of the film portrays the situation of factory workers in Detroit and the activities of unionization. Voice-overs comment on the safety of the assembly line, overtime, management, unions, and relations with whites. Scenes of printing, leafleting, and voting are included, which show the work that went into this effort.

Opening with still shots - drawings, photos, and newspaper headlines - of the slave era and of autoworkers, the film establishes the atmosphere with this connection. Film of the worker "on the job" includes everything from riding to the plant in the morning through working on the line. Additional footage brings in white workers talking about race relations, young people (with scenes inside a high school that trains its students for the factory), police relations, and a segment on black women's employment issues.

This documentary whirs with the feeling of urgency, frustration, and the need for organization. For students who were not even born when this occurred, the film may give them a glimpse into another time and place. Unfortunately, there are many instances of crude language, not just four-letter words, but also 12-letter, which would probably not be tolerated in most high schools. However, this would be appropriate for college history classes and general adult use.

Because of its age, some viewers might consider this film dated. But this enhances its value as a historical document. Through viewing this, “black power” becomes not just a phrase in a textbook, but the rallying cry of workers seeking to band together for the common good.