Stanley Nelson

Biography

Stanley Earl Nelson Jr. (born June 7, 1951) is an American documentary filmmaker and a MacArthur Fellow known as a director, writer and producer of documentaries examining African-American history and experiences. He is a recipient of the 2013 National Humanities Medal from President Obama. He has won three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Among his notable films are Freedom Riders (2010), Wounded Knee (2009), Jonestown: The Life & Death of People's Temple (2006), Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice (2005), A Place of Our Own (2004), The Murder of Emmett Till (2003), and The Black Press: Soldiers without Swords (1998).

Known For

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool 2019 ★ 7.1
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution 2015 ★ 7.0
Attica 2021 ★ 6.8
Black Panthers 2020 ★ 4.5
Vick 2020 ★ 5.6
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple 2006 ★ 7.0
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities 2017 ★ 8.1
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom 2021 ★ 6.0
Crack: Cocaine, Corruption & Conspiracy 2021 ★ 6.8
Freedom Riders 2010 ★ 7.5
Jesse Owens 2012 ★ 8.0
San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood 2024 ★ 1.0
Critical Condition: Health in Black America 2025 ★ 1.0
Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas 2012