Photo by Daniel Dorsa

At last night’s 2022 Academy Awards, Questlove took home the award for Best Original Documentary for his directorial debut on Summer of Soul (… Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised). 

The film was released last July and explored the story of The Harlem Cultural Festival, which took place over six weeks at Mount Morris Park during the summer of love. 

Through the film, Questlove helps illuminate the healing power of music while emphasizing the Black experience at a pivotal moment during the Civil Rights Movement. Questlove shares the award with his fellow producers, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein. 

During his acceptance speech, Questlove said, “This is such a stunning moment for me right now, but it’s not about me.” He continued, “It’s about the marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain. Just know that in 2022, this is not just a 1969 story about marginalized people in Harlem.” 

The Harlem Cultural Festival was primarily forgotten over time, despite featuring performances by some of the music world’s most significant artists, including Stevie Wonder, Nine Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more. 

Read Relix publisher Peter Shapiro’s interview with Questlove from Relix’s June cover story.

Summer of Soul (… Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is available to stream on Hulu now.