After a World War, a flu pandemic,  and a series of race riots in the United States... Oscar Micheaux’s independently produced Within Our Gates premiered in 1920. Known for being the oldest surviving film from an African-American director, it is also seen as a response to the racial climate in America at the time, as well as D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915). We discuss all these topics, as well as early silent cinema.Where to watch Within Our Gates (also in public domain)The Chicago Defender 1920 Review of Within Our GatesWhere to watch The Phantom Carriage (also in public domain)