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Eyes on the Prize Receives the 2019 Cinema Eye Legacy Award

By Washington University Libraries

We are excited to announce that Eyes on the Prize is the recipient of the 2019 Cinema Eye Legacy Award. This award is given in recognition of an influential work of nonfiction film that continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers. Eyes on the Prize is the first series to receive the Legacy Award.

Henry Hampton stands in the right of the photo dressed in a suit and tie with a paper cup in-hand while speaking with a seated Marian Wright Edelman, also dressed sharply in a blouse and long skirt.
Filmmaker, Henry Hampton and Marian Wright Edelman during the production of “Eyes on the Prize II”

In granting the award Cinema Eye Board Co-Chair Dawn Porter said, “For me and so many others, Eyes on the Prize was a transformational cinematic experience, artfully crafting the history of a nation into an unforgettable story. Countless filmmakers have been inspired by this elegant body of work.”

Created and produced by Henry Hampton, this 14-part series is the defining documentary on the civil rights movement, and Washington University Libraries has preserved and made available 127 of the original interviews that are part of the Henry Hampton Collection.

Researchers and viewers can access these original interviews from Eyes on the Prize via our Digital Gateway.