Richard Lawson has done most of his work for TV, which is too bad. In "Black Fist", Lawson is the diamond-in-the-rough that saves this movie from its low-budget woes. His performance is excellent, and keeps us watching just to see his character unfold.
Another reviewer complained that the surviving print of this film, available on video, is a hatchet job for re-release, possibly to television. That explains frequent continuity gaffs that comprise the film's worst failings.
Some of the other actors are pretty limp; the low-budget cinematography clearly shows effort, but can't get around the fact that the director's ambitions outpaced his available technology. The script gets trite on occasion, although there are also some very strong lines of dialog, and the story is pretty good.
But what truly deserves to be remembered here is Lawsons performance. It's a shame that Hollywood has wasted the potential of men and women of real talent just because of their skin color or ethnicity.