All Episodes of By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
Browse all episodes of By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
Season 1
8.2/1010 votesLoading...Mecca
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 11/8/2020
The 'cultural capital of Black America,' 1960s Harlem faces problems and rising tensions as all over the country, civil rights protests proliferate. As the decade unfolds, music gives voice to a community fighting for justice.
Director: Keith McQuirter
Writer: Leslie Asako Gladsjø
8.2/107 votesLoading...Freedom Songs
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 11/15/2020
A musical, political and spiritual revolution gains momentum across Black America, inspiring Jazz greats John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus and Max Roach to express their activism through their instruments, and Abbey Lincoln to vocalize her pain in song.
Director: Keith McQuirter
Writer: Leslie Asako Gladsjø
8.5/108 votesLoading...Crossroads
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 11/22/2020
The rich diversity of the Harlem population shapes new forms of music that draw on different sounds and styles heard around the neighborhood, like R&B, jazz, soul, mambo, blues, and 'boogaloo,' all of which reflect the common goal of racial justice.
Director: Keith McQuirter
Writer: Leslie Asako Gladsjø
8.2/107 votesLoading...Power
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 11/29/2020
New voices like the Black Panthers offer a message to Black America: reform is not enough; it's time for revolution. The call for Black Power sparks a cultural shift not just in Harlem, but around the world, as Black music infiltrates the mainstream.
Director: Keith McQuirter
Writer: Leslie Asako Gladsjø