It’s been a long road for Eric Monte, the Godfather of Sitcom, the writer & creator of Good Times, The Jeffersons, What’s Happening, and the classic, iconic hit movie Cooley High. And many may not know, but he was also the brains behind The Cosby Show & Redd Foxx being cast for Sanford and Son!
Being one of a handful of Black men, creators, and writers in Hollywood in the late '60s, and early '70s, he made history 3 times: being the first Black man to make an all-Black family sitcom, to sue Hollywood for his IP and win, and to have a hit movie that grossed $13 million in the first week at the box office!
Yes, he has quite a legacy! His works were groundbreaking with his amazing gift of telling the Black American story and capturing the pulse of his people, while simultaneously being revolutionary and prolific in his approach.
Having grown up in Chicago’s Cabrini Green Projects, it was always his dream to get Black people on TV and the big screen in a positive light, to give them a voice and allow them to be heard (as Preach spoke of in his life movie Cooley High). BUT, it was a fight! Before it was even aired, he fought for 2 years for a Black father to be on Good Times! Thus, he became a radical voice in Hollywood for our people’s stories and was very passionate about how we were portrayed! But he paid a heavy price for that radical voice and passion; he became blacklisted in Hollywood after suing for his works. As a result, he was never allowed to write again and lost his ability to continue working in the art that he loved, to make a living for himself and his family, and to build a legacy or generational wealth. But most dear to him, he wasn't allowed to further his lifelong dream, a production company, which he started 48 years ago.
Yes, it has been a long, hard journey for Eric. For over 50 years he’s watched the industry praise his work, yet shun him. Envision the hopes and dreams of this legend being ripped away and stolen, the integrity of his art compromised, and his body of work, which should have been upheld as a cornerstone in the industry and respected by the next generation of creators…all stripped away. That HURTS!
While he is so grateful to see how beloved his work has become, it hurts to know he has no voice in his own creations. It hurts that despite these major accomplishments, he has found himself homeless & penniless many times, while others have prospered off of HIS accomplishments.
But thankfully, this is one story that doesn’t end with hurt! It continues with perseverance, endurance, and courage!
We, as his family, understand the significance and value of what was stripped from him, what he's suffered, and we have picked up the gauntlet to continue his fight! Fight for his legacy, his rights, his intellectual property, his dignity, his proper compensation…and his dream to make Eric Monte Productions (EMP) relevant. He is now 82 with an AMAZING body of work under his belt, and he has yet to receive his due, his REAL compensation, or realize his dream. We desire to support him and help him realize this dream. Through EMP, we would like to start by producing a documentary of his life. We also desire to preserve Black art and to visit HBCUs to enlighten and encourage the younger generation in film. And last, we want to help him restore and preserve his legacy. We ask that you join us in this support and battle to help this legend FINALLY receive his flowers while he is still alive to smell them. He has taken on an industry that would like nothing better than to see his name replaced and forever forgotten. Please let’s not let that happen. We ask that you donate. He needs your continued support and help more than ever.
All funds will go towards his daily living, his upcoming documentary, tours to HBCUs, restoring his legacy, and his much-needed legal services...
Please follow him on IG at @ericmonteofficial for all Eric Monte updates!
Tiers
To receive merch, please email proof of donation, including full name, address, and contact number to the listed email address.
Donate $100
Signed Merch -t-shirt
Donate $300
Signed Merch - Cup, t-shirt, a poster, and a pic.
Donate $500
Signed Merch - Cup, t-shirt, poster, and streaming of pre-screening of the documentary via Zoom
Donate $1,000
Private screening of documentary with signed merch in person
Donate $5,000
Private screening of documentary with your name in the credits
Donate $10,000.00
A meet and greet, signed merch, dinner with the Legend, and your name in the credits of his documentary!