Gerald Early

Born: 1952-04-21

Gerald Lyn Early is an American essayist and American culture critic, appearing and serving as a consultant on Ken Burns' documentary films Baseball, Jazz, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, The War, and Muhammad Ali. Currently, Early is the Merle Kling Professor of Modern letters, of English, African studies, African-American studies, American culture studies, and Director, Center for Joint Projects in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a regular commentator on National Public Radio's Fresh Air, and his essays have appeared in numerous editions of Best American Essays series. He writes on topics as diverse as American literature, the Korean War, African-American culture, Afro-American autobiography, non-fiction prose, baseball, jazz, prizefighting, Motown, Miles Davis, Muhammad Ali and Sammy Davis Jr.


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Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

as Self - Writer
Released: 2019-08-23

An immersive look at the eventful life and brilliant artistic career of visionary American jazz...

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Dean Martin: King of Cool

as Self
Released: 2021-11-14

Dean Martin had a laid-back charm that made him successful in everything from big-screen...

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Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed

as Self
Released: 2008-02-23

An American story. Traces the career of Joe Louis (1914-1981) within the context of American...

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The Journey of the African-American Athlete

as Self - Writer / Historian
Released: 1996-02-12

Documentary feature exploring the rise of African-Americans to positions of greatness in...

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Baseball

as Self
First aired: 1994-09-18

The history of the sport of baseball in America, told through archival photos, film footage, and...

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Jackie Robinson

as Self
First aired: 2016-04-11

Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one...

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Baseball: The Tenth Inning

as Self
First aired: 2010-09-28

This two-part sequel to the 1994 series Baseball continues the story of America's national...

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