American Masters

History Series / 14 Seasons

American Masters, committed to producing comprehensive film biographies about the broad cast of characters who comprise our cultural history.

1h 23m / TV-14

The spark that ignited Orozco’s interest in art making

1m 25s

As a young student, José Clemente Orozco was enchanted by the work of Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. His work as an illustrator stirred Orozco’s imagination and “impelled [him] to cover paper with [his] first little figures.”

The history behind one of Orozco’s most iconic paintings

1m 50s

Orozco painted one of Mexico's most iconic public murals, which directly confronted revered institutions. His fiery painting of Padre Hidalgo, the “George Washington of Mexican Independence,” depicted the leader as a prophet wielding a sword who was “purifying the world with bloodshed.” The artwork showcases Orozco's unapologetic style, characterized by sharp angles and uncompromising intensity.

How Max Roach fused jazz and hip hop

2m 47s

Max Roach was excited by the premise and promise of rap when it first hit the music scene. Roach was introduced to the genre by his godson and hip hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, and would later collaborate with him. "The fact that he saw that vision before it became cool in the early nineties, for you to mix your hip hop and your jazz together, shows how ahead of the curve he was," said Questlove."

Documenting the legacy of drummer Max Roach

2m 28s

Director Sam Pollard was captivated by the life story of drummer and activist Max Roach 35 years ago. "Seeing Max Roach sit behind a drum set, he had a regal quality about him," said Pollard. "And I remember saying, 'Somebody should do a film on Max Roach.'"

How Max Roach created the experimental sound of M'Boom

2m 12s

Max Roach founded M'Boom, a jazz group made up of experimental percussionists. M'Boom was his way of venturing into a more abstract, adventurous sound—including a song that recreated the sounds of a storm through music. "Max was one of the people redefining what the music is gonna be in every decade that he was active," said musician Greg Tate.

Rare footage of Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln's collaboration

25m 51s

In this excerpt from Black Journal originally released on April 27, 1970, drummer Max Roach and singer Abbey Lincoln perform at Norfolk State College in Virginia and share their thoughts on their roles as musicians. The husband and wife duo found it important to emphasize their African American heritage and musical influences.

Cesar Chavez's love of jazz and pachuco culture

3m 27s

Labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez expressed an interest in music from an early age. He grew up identifying as a pachuco, a young Mexican-American who wore zoot suits and listened to jazz, blues and swing music. "A lot of people have no idea that the leader of the Farm Workers Union was this guy that had this urban soul inside him," said filmmaker Luis Valdez.

How the farmworkers’ movement used concerts to fundraise

3m 40s

Music promoter Jim Cassell organized concerts as fundraisers for the farmworkers’ movement with the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Garcia, Cheech and Chong, Crosby and Nash, Taj Mahal, Malo, Tower of Power and others. “It was an era when the United Farm Workers Union movement was so supported by everybody, so the bands would perform basically for free," said Cassell.

A Song for Cesar

1m 52s

Trace the life and legacy of labor activist Cesar Chavez. Through interviews with Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana and more, see how music and the arts were instrumental to the success of the farmworkers’ movement Chavez helped found.

The music of America’s farmworkers

3m 10s

When musician and composer Daniel Valdez first read the poem "Brown-Eyed Children of the Sun," he was reminded of his parents, who were migrant farmers from Mexico. He was inspired to create a bolero, typically a romantic ballad, dedicated to farmworkers and their families.

Peaceful protest with Joan Baez

2m 31s

Members of the farmworkers’ movement were committed to nonviolence amidst danger on the picket lines. Singer-songwriter Joan Baez was one of those peaceful protesters. "I've always been the happiest when I was doing activism and music at the same time,” said Baez. “So that was an obvious place for me to be, with Cesar."

Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely

2m 20s

Follow the 50-year career of preeminent First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams. See how his landmark cases—from the Pentagon Papers to Citizens United to Clearview AI—helped define free speech as it is known today. Join Dan Abrams, Ari Melber, Nina Totenberg and more as they explore how Abrams' career has shaped major changes in law, public discourse and civic action since the 1960s.

The case that protected corporate spending in elections

2m 26s

During the 2008 presidential elections, Citizens United, a conservative non-profit organization, wanted to air a film criticizing then-democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Although Abrams disagreed with the politics of the film, he argued that Citizens United were within their rights to air the film, declaring that the First Amendment protects independent spending by corporations in elections.

When The New York Times published the Pentagon Papers

2m 22s

The New York Times sought the legal counsel of First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams after publishing the Pentagon Papers. The media organization was accused of being disloyal to the country, but Abrams successfully argued that The Times were within their First Amendment rights. The case later became known as a landmark case for protecting press freedom.

The history of the First Amendment

2m 48s

Did you know that the Supreme Court didn't begin interpreting the First Amendment as law until 1919? "We were making up, in a sense, First Amendment law as we went along," said lawyer Floyd Abrams. Free speech as we know it today was established through national security cases and gains made during the civil rights movement.

Dan Abrams on defending his father's work on Citizens United

3m 40s

In this outtake from "Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely," ABC News Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Dan Abrams discusses how he admires his father for working on cases he may not necessarily agree with, including Citizens United.

The moment Jerry Brown found politics

1m 15s

While studying for the bar exam at the Governor's Mansion, Jerry Brown overheard his father talking politics. "There was a vitality and intensity, maybe like watching an exciting movie," recalls Brown. "But it wasn't a movie; it was a reality that was imaginable for me to be a part of."

Jerry Brown's second shot at governor

2m 12s

28 years after his first term, Jerry Brown runs for governor a second time and becomes the oldest sitting governor in California's history. "One of the things that made him so effective in his second tour as governor was that he remained what he'd always been, the un-politician's politician," said journalist and author Todd Purdum.

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