Oscar Micheaux Founds Black Film Company to Counter Racist Hollywood Portrayals

Oscar Micheaux founded the Micheaux Book and Film Company in 1918, becoming the first major Black film producer and director in the United States. His film 'Within Our Gates' (1920) directly responded to 'The Birth of a Nation' by depicting lynching from the Black perspective. Micheaux produced approximately 44 films between 1919 and 1948.