Eyes on the Screen

This is a big one.

We are proud to present: Eyes on the Screen. (eyesonthescreen.org).

It is a nationwide campaign to distribute digital versions of Eyes on the Prize— the most important civil rights documentary ever made– and have screenings of it in towns and cities across the US on February 8th at 8PM.

Eyes on the Prize has been unavailable for ten years because of overwhelming copyright licensing disputes. If you haven’t already, you really, really need to read this Washington Post article that came out on MLK Day about this terrible state of affairs. This could be the clearest example we know of that shows how copyright expansionism is hurting our shared culture. Simply because of the overwhelming costs of securing rights to historical footage – you can’t buy Eyes on the Prize on video or DVD and copies on eBay cost $1500. Your local library might still have a copy of it because libraries are awesome like that (they still need help making sure their VHS copies don’t wear and tear though). But thousands of schools that have used Eyes on the Prize as the most powerful way to teach about the Civil Rights Movement, can’t do that anymore. It’s a shame. So, download Eyes on the Prize now and help make sure there is a screening in your town on February 8th by going to or hosting one.