African Americans in Film
African American History Month offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on cultural and artistic achievements of African Americans. They have been making films as long as the medium has existed but faced unique challenges. African American film grew out of a caricatured, othered presentation of black culture to mainstream audiences, and had to reclaim its own narrative. But the pernicious influence of cultural stereotypes was not the only challenge. African American cinema blossomed from decades of black performers limited to working for white directors, producers, and censors; to films that now enjoy African American talent in the writing, direction, editing, and production (and independent of white capital), which allows for richer self-expression. But earlier films should not be ignored; African … Continued