Enjoy the story of Oscar Micheaux told by Dr. Chester J. Fontenot. Micheaux, an African American pioneer, took out a homestead in 1904 on part of the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Learn about the many trials that Micheaux faced that prompted him to write novels to reflect his experiences. Known as the country's first major black filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux directed and produced 44 films over the course of his career.
Dr. Chester J. Fontenot, Jr. is the Baptist Professor of English and Director of the Africana Studies Program at Mercer University. He has published 7 academic, and 2 non-academic books, over 60 articles, and numerous book reviews and newspaper articles. He has received numerous awards, including: Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, the National Student Register, Who's Who Among Black Americans, The Directory of American Scholars, Contemporary Living Authors, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the 21st Century, Who’s Who in American Education, and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. His biography is also included in the National Biographical Center in London, England. He has earned a national and international reputation in his fields of academic research, and has lectured at more than 40 universities in the United States and as a visiting scholar at 6 universities in 4 countries abroad. He is the general editor of the Mercer University Press book series, Voices of the African Diaspora. He has also served as a consultant for more than 20 years for multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusiveness efforts by institutions. Dr. Fontenot has also been involved in media as a television talk show host of his own pro-gram, A Closer Look, for 3 years, and continues to serve as a resident expert on African American and West African cultures for radio and TV shows nationally and internationally. For 10 years he served as the Secretary for the African Union’s Ambassador to the U.S.A’s Education Committee. Over the last 7 years, he has co-directed a research project on slave transaction records in the Bibb County Superior Court’s archives. Dr. Fontenot is also an ordained minister and former pastor in the Baptist church for 15 years. He continues his ministry as an itinerant preacher, public speaker, and community activist.
This video was made possible by our partner, the South Dakota Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.