BLACK DIAMONDS - A BILL DUKE FILM

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• published: 15 Feb 2014
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The heroic journey of Black Players struggling against bigotry and hate to define the most thrilling era in the evolution of Baseball. BE PART OF THE LEGACY OF A DREAM... BLACK DIAMONDS The crack of the bat against a ball has been my mantra, a sound I hear in desperate moments, at times when I crave total satisfaction, a sound I hear over and over when I want something very badly but can't express what it is. -- Lucy Jane Bledsoe I look back in amazement now that we ever tolerated a day without the blacks in the big leagues. -- Bob Broeg A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. -- Jackie Robinson BLACK DIAMONDS A Documentary With each generation there are heroes who pave the way and become the light for the generations of heroes that follow. Their heart, their bravery and their tears transformed the odds. These men fought through the dirt, pain and tears to give all of us a legacy of promise -- that Baseball would forever change through the inclusion of men who would be judged on their talents and abilities, not on the color of their skin. With your donation, you can be a part of the team that creates this unique documentary, brought to life by Bill Duke, a man who has paved his own road through struggle and bigotry to become one of the true treasures of Hollywood. Black Diamonds tells the true story of Black men who played professional baseball in the United States from post-Civil War to the Negro Leagues and the "barnstorming days," of their consistent impact on Major League Baseball from 1947 through the present. It examines the extraordinary challenges Black players faced on and off the field. Black Diamonds chronicles the contributions of Black players to the game and to American society, as they helped usher in significant social, economic and political changes that are still being felt today. It also examines the great impact that the integration of Major League Baseball had on the resultant dissolution of the Negro Leagues, on Black culture and communities, as well as the rest of America, and on those parts of the world where baseball is played. Ernie Banks receives the highest honor bestowed on an American. The Presidential Medal of Freedom. "BLACK DIAMONDS" includes dramatic re-enactments of pivotal watershed moments in American and baseball history. These re-enactments give our presentations "texture" and "relevance" which catapults the viewer into the authentic place of action in history. A project of love and determination created by award-winning director Bill Duke and Liz Banks, President/Founder 500 Home Run Club, LLC. Bill Duke, Producer, Director, Humanitarian Bill Duke is the legendary African American Film Director who recently received a Lifetime Achievement Tribute from the Directors Guild of America. Black Diamonds will warm the hearts and open tear ducts of the most respectful baseball fans and skeptics alike. Bill Duke serves on the Board of Trustees at the American Film Institute. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him to the California State Film Commission Board. Bill Duke also served as the Time Warner Endowed Chair in the Department of Radio Television and Film at Howard University in Washington, DC. He was then appointed to the National Endowment of the Humanities by President Bill Clinton. Bill Duke's directing credits include The Killing Floor, A Rage in Harlem, SisterAct 2, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, The Cemetery Club, Cover and Not Easily Broken. Prior Project Dark Girls, a Film by Bill Duke Dual documentary Directors/Producers D. Channsin Berry (Urban Winter Entertainment) and Bill Duke (Duke Media) took their cameras into everyday America in search of pointed, unfiltered and penetrating interviews with Black women of the darkest hues for their emotional expose', "Dark Girls". Two years in the making, Dark Girls had its premier at the Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary pulls back our country's curtain to reveal that the deep seated biases and hatreds of racism -- within and outside of the Black American culture -- remain bitterly entrenched. Liz Banks, President and Founder, 500hrc.com Be a Part of Our Team We're telling a story that is history! You support this documentary by every dollar you give. If you can't donate, you can still be part of the team by spreading the word to friends and connections on social media, and getting them to donate! Thank you for making this amazing film a reality.