Raisin in the Sun is a 1989 TV adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 Broadway play (previously filmed in 1961). Originally broadcast February 1, 1989, Raisin in the Sun was the eighth-season opener for PBS' American Playhouse. For the purposes of this version, a scene from the play that was removed during its original Broadway run is reinstated. Synopsis: An African-American family hopes to use a $10,000 legacy left them by the family's late father to move out of the Chicago projects and into a white neighborhood. Spearheading the move is matriarch Esther Rolle, who wants to open more opportunity doors for herself and her family. Rolle's son Danny Glover is bitter about the move; he'd hoped to use the inheritance to open his own business. Most of the play involves the heated battles between the idealistic Rolle and the hostile Glover, who feels that moving into an all-white suburb will hinder rather than help his future. Storyline: A TV adaptation of the Lorraine Hansberry drama about race relations in America in the 1950s. It is the story of a black American family torn between a mother's pursuit of the middle-class dream, and her son's desire to begin a new life. Plot: A substantial insurance payment could mean either financial salvation or personal ruin for a poor Black family. We do not own the rights to any of this film. This film is being used for historical and educational purposes only. No copyright infringement intended. Black Excellence:

Starring Starletta DuPois, Lou Ferguson, John Fiedler

Hallelujah is a 1993 television drama film produced for the 11th season of PBS' American Playhouse. Stars James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad. Synopsis: A holiday tale about a young reverend (Dennis Haysbert) who is given two days to impress a Washington, D.C. church committee that is concerned about his age and single-parent status. Additionally, he is challenged when he encounters a pregnant teen and a homeless veteran. Storyline: Christmas at the Messiah Church in Washington D.C. A young preacher and later in the day a mysterious pregnant girl arrive at the church doors looking to begin new lives The preacher, the Reverend Oliver Crawford, is not the judgmental church committees first choice to be the Messiahs new pastor. He is an unwed father of a teenage son and he is given only two days to prove his worth to his new parishioners. Meanwhile Katherine, a sixteen-year-old girl, who is about to give birth has come to the area to escape an abusive home and to search for a grandfather she doesn't know. With the help of local homeless advocate Big Willie Thorton, Crawford attempts to revive the spirit of the church and provide solace to the displaced girl. We do not own the rights to any of this film. This film is being used for historical and educational purposes only. No copyright infringement intended. Black Excellence:

Starring Ralph Fiennes