Stanley Nelson — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Recipient of the 2013 National Humanities Medal from President Obama.
MacArthur Fellow (2002).
Winner of three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Co-Founder, Director/Producer at Firelight Films.
Known for documentaries such as Freedom Riders (2010), Jonestown: The Life & Death of People's Temple (2006), and The Murder of Emmett Till (2003).
Graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Leonard Davis Film School at the City College of New York (1976).

Biography

Stanley Earl Nelson Jr., born on June 7, 1951, is an American documentary filmmaker and a MacArthur Fellow. He is widely recognized as a director, writer, and producer of documentaries that explore African-American history and experiences. His significant contributions to the humanities were acknowledged with the 2013 National Humanities Medal from President Obama, and he has also received three Primetime Emmy Awards for his work.

Nelson was born in New York City to Stanley Nelson Sr.