Dante James, an award-winning independent filmmaker who has received national attention for his PBS-sponsored documentaries, will be the speaker for Grand Valley State University Commencement ceremonies, December 8, at the Van Andel Arena.
James won an Emmy for part three of the four-part PBS documentary series, “Slavery and the Making of America,” which chronicles the institution of American slavery from its origins in 1619 up to the Civil War. He served as producer for the series and also wrote, produced and directed the first segment.
James has received many awards for his work at WETA-TV in Washington D.C., including honors for production of a documentary on opera singer Marian Anderson, as well as “Politics — the New Black Power,” and “Turning It Around: Urban Teens in Crises.”
James is a native of Grand Rapids and earned his bachelor’s degree in arts and media from Grand Valley State University in 1976. In 1994 he received the university’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of public broadcasting, including his participation in funding panels for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Black Programming Consortium, and serving as a judge for the Emmys and other broadcasting awards.
