by San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive
This documentary reflects on the lives and aspirations of an African American family, the Johns, who moved to West Oakland from Louisiana, focusing on Robert Lee Johns and his mother Agnes. A voiceover prefaces the film with a statement that it presents “a story of people caught in a lifelong struggle between their hopes and their abilities and their discovery that no matter how hard they try they will be losing just the same.”
The film includes views shot around the streets of West Oakland, public speaking by Curtis Baker (Black Jesus), meetings at the Oak Center Site Office and excerpts from a graduation ceremony at McClymonds High School. Also featured are scenes of Robert attending a job interview at a garment factory in San Francisco and a fantasy sequence in which he imagines himself graduating successfully from high school.
“Losing Just the Same” was written and produced by Richard Moore and Saul Landau and directed by Richard Moore and Irving Saraf. It was originally produced by KQED for National Educational Television (NET), the predecessor of WNET, and first aired in 1966. The copyright is held by WNET.ORG Properties LLC. All rights reserved. WNET.org is the premier public media provider of the New York metropolitan area and parent of public television stations WNET and WLIW.
This film was added in 2009 to San Francisco State University’s San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive.
100 apartments at 4840 Mission Street available for lease through DAHLIA San Francisco Housing Portal!
Households must have a minimum monthly income of two times the rent. Households must earn no more than the gross monthly income listed below:
Applications and more info available on DAHLIA San Francisco Housing Portal: housing.sfgov.org
The applications deadline is September 28th, 2023 at 5PM. Applications must be submitted online at housing.sfgov.org from September 7 to September 28, 2023. For assistance, contact one of the housing counseling agencies listed at housing.sfgov.org/housing-counselors.
This property has some units with special features for mobility impaired or sensory impaired households. Several preferences apply; learn more at housing.sfgov.org.
Income and other restrictions apply. Section 8 welcome. Equal Housing Opportunity.
