Skip to main content
Access to this video is a benefit for members through
Back to Show
American Experience

Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP

Season 37 Episode 1

The civil rights movement was set in motion by activists of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. While some of its leaders are familiar, Walter White — NAACP head from 1929 to 1955 and one of America’s most influential Black men — has been all but forgotten. This film traces the fascinating and complex life of this neglected civil rights hero. From AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

Watch Preview
Support Provided By
Season
The Sun Queen
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:22
Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.
The Movement and the "Madman"
1:22:29
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.
Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:17
Discover the unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game.
Women in American History
1:52:24
The influential author and anthropologist whose work reclaimed and honored Black life.
The Lie Detector
52:45
The story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern justice.
Plague at the Golden Gate
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:52:39
Discover how bubonic plague in 1900 set off fear and anti-Asian sentiment in San Francisco
Earth Month
Flood in the Desert
52:45
Explore the 1928 dam collapse, the second deadliest disaster in California history.
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard, Spanish
1:52:49
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard with Spanish subtitles.
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
1:52:23
How a horrific incident of racial violence became catalyst for the civil rights movement.
Part 2 | The Vote | American Experience
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:52:47
Part Two examines the mounting dispute over strategies and reveals the pervasive racism.
Part 1 | The Vote | American Experience
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:52:42
The fiery campaign that led to passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women the vote.
The Eugenics Crusade
1:53:12
The Eugenics Crusade tells the story of the campaign to breed a “better” American race,
Active loading indicator