Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey

• 2001
• Documentary
• TVPG

• Watchlist

Sidney Poitier narrates this detailed biography of the African-American scholar and UN diplomat (1903-71), who won the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his Mideast mediation, then faced down McCarthy-era loyalty charges. He was "a guy who could think around corners," says Judge William Bryant, a former Bunche student. "His life is tailor-made for myth," adds historian Ben Keppell. Bunche's son, Ralph Jr., and daughter Joan are also interviewed, as is former UN official Brian Urquhart.