Rosenwald

The documentary opens with interviews featuring Peter Ascoli, Julian Bond, Stephanie Deutsch, Richard J. Powell, Eugene Robinson, and George C. Wolfe. These voices frame Rosenwald's significance and guide viewers into the historical narrative. The conversations touch on his impact in business, civil rights, and culture.

The film recounts Rosenwald's ascent from his father's clothing business to the chairmanship of Sears-Roebuck, transforming the company into the world's largest retailer. It highlights how his business savvy built the wealth that would later fuel his philanthropy. The narrative links corporate success to social ambition.

Shocked by reports of anti-Jewish pogroms in Russia, Rosenwald resolves to use his fortune to improve conditions for marginalized people in America. He recognizes that African Americans face systemic oppression similar to what he witnessed abroad. This realization redirects his energy toward social reform.

Rosenwald forms a close relationship with Booker T. Washington and begins donating to the Tuskegee Institute. The partnership signals a strategic shift from wealth accumulation to targeted, education-focused philanthropy. The foundation of trust accelerates his later campaigns.

He funds a model project where Tuskegee architects design simple schoolhouses to serve rural Southern communities. The school staff oversee operation, ensuring schools are practical and well-managed. The project demonstrates how thoughtful design and local involvement could transform education.

After Washington's death in 1915, Rosenwald creates the Rosenwald Foundation in 1917 to expand the school-building program. The foundation uses matching funds to secure community investment and ensure operating support from local school boards. The approach relies on local fundraising and sweat equity.

The Foundation funds thousands of rural Black schools across the South, with communities contributing land and labor. By 1932, the program has produced a staggering number of schools and significantly expanded Black educational access. The model becomes a cornerstone of segregated-era schooling.

By Rosenwald's death in 1932, about 5,357 Rosenwald schools exist, comprising roughly one-third of all Black elementary schools before Brown v. Board. The film emphasizes the scale and lasting influence of the initiative. It connects school access to broader civil rights progress.

Beyond schools, Rosenwald helps establish 25 YMCA-YWCA facilities for African Americans. These centers provide community spaces, leadership development, and social infrastructure in Black communities. The initiative broadens his impact beyond education.

The film covers Rosenwald's role in founding the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It reflects his commitment to public education, science, and culture, as well as providing a platform for Black and urban achievement. The museum endures as a cultural landmark.

Rosenwald backs the Michigan Boulevard Garden Apartments, a housing project in Chicago for Black migrants during the Great Migration. The project demonstrates how housing policy complemented educational and cultural aims. It highlights the broader strategy of improving living conditions.

The documentary notes Rosenwald's support for training the Tuskegee Airmen, helping Black servicemen gain skills and opportunities in World War II. This extended his philanthropic reach into military and vocational training. It illustrates a long arc from education to national service.

The film closes by tracing how the Rosenwald Fund granted awards to many Black artists and writers who became prominent mid-century figures. The fund's cultural grants helped shape American arts and letters and left a lasting imprint on the cultural landscape. The narrative ties philanthropy to enduring creative achievement.