The Nyerere Educational Resource Center is planning a documentary film about Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and his importance in modern African history. The documentary will premiere in December 2011, in time for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of independence.

Nyerere led Tanzania into a peaceful independence, overcoming British colonialism, internal divisions, and Cold War intrigue to build a unified nation that led the drive to liberate southern Africa from white minority rule. A scholar with a Master’s degree from Edinburgh University whose speeches were full of homespun wisdom, Nyerere was a master communicator who was known in Tanzania simply as Mwalimu, or “Teacher.” Now, fifty years since the wave of independence in Africa in the early 1960s, a period marked by the collapse of the hopes of that exhilarating moment, the time has come for a re-evaluation of those dreams and the hard facts of this history. Nyerere, as a figure of unique intellect and integrity provides a powerful perspective to contemplate this history, and understand the historical context of the challenges Africa now faces. His first book of speeches and writings of the struggle for freedom and the early years of independence, was called Uhuru na Umoja or Freedom and Unity. These two words define both his idealism and the nature of the struggle he faced to create a peaceful country in post-colonial Africa.

This two-hour documentary, built on interviews with colleagues and peers of Julius Nyerere, archival film and photographs, and the research of leading scholars in Tanzanian history and politics will allow an American audience to understand the history of independent Africa through an inspiring figure little known to most Americans. The documentary will help teach students about Africa, and help dispel many negative stereotypes about the continent. Through an associated website, much more detail about Nyerere and his career will be available, as well as supplemental interviews, archival documents, and historical footage that will provide an inspiring entry into global history. Finally, a series of screenings at colleges and universities around the country will be organized to have a local professor expert in African studies lead a discussion following the film. It is hoped that this will encourage educators to adopt the documentary for classroom use.