Born in 1884, Oscar Micheaux was the son of former enslaved people, and one of 11 siblings who attended segregated schools in Illinois. He began his career by writing novels about homesteading as a Black man. His first feature, THE HOMESTEADER (1919), is now believed lost but his film WITHIN OUR GATES (1920), released the following year, is considered to be the oldest surviving feature film made by a Black director.
Learn more about WITHIN OUR GATES in the AFI Catalog.
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