Happy Black History Month America! Of course we all know there is no HISTORY without Black folks. That said, we the 1st people are happy to have given you Religion, Philosophy, metaphysics, Art, Science, Music, Language, Math and Culture. But most of all we are glad to have given birth to you. You are most welcome!
Just figured I'd say that cause for some reason every February I have to endure hours of your fine propaganda campaigns via the mass media. Queen starring Paul Winfield, Ossie Davis, Halle Berry and Jasmine Guy is not the history of Black People. Neither is Roots! It's only a small part of the lives of the People who first populated the earth.
What's Love Got to Do with it? While it is a great Tina Turner Story, it ain't a Black History film! That goes for Super Fly, The Mack, Posse, And Waiting to Exhale. Hear that TV One? BET are you with me? Just cause it got Black People in don't make it Black History dig? BET and TV One should be more selective.
Should we Play Malcolm X or King? Yes! But again, how bout playing their speeches? How bout playing some Marcus M. Garvey? Some Elijah Muhammed? Some A. Philip Randolph? How bout some Dr. Angela Davis or Stokely Carmichael? You know even if you focused just on the 60's it was more than just King and Malcolm. There are tons of Black films and shows. Franks Place! Tim Ried before he played the dad on Sister Sister and after he played Venus Flytrap on WKRP created and produced a beautiful series of work. How bout Soul Food, the series? Links? So much more. Dig?
Yes! These films employed Black People but so does the Post Office. That doesn't mean it should be counted among the commentary of Black Folks.
So in the spirit of Brotherhood, Check out the Pan Afrikan Film Festival. Here's the Link! http://www.paff.org/
How about Sankofa. This was a great film! Maybe you should play it! http://www.sankofa.com/store/catalog/ Now it's not that I don't enjoy seeing Roots! It's not that! It's just that there's so much more out there. Funnie, I don't see anyone playing Love Jones, The Inkwell, The Spook Who Sat by the Door.
I don't see great documentaries like Eyes on the Prize. NPR commentator Juan Williams did a wonderful job on this before he turned to the dark side and became a Sith Lord. He wasn't always Darth Juan ya know. I don't see Brother Outsider: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin. How bout A Great and Mighty Walk? John Henrik Clarke?
Halle Berry did do the film There Eyes were Watching God. That's by Zora Neale Hurston. She's a very important person in Black Literature. Just so you know.
Just ranting but not really!
BE Prayerful! BE Careful! BE Mindful!
Jaycee
5 comments:
Happy Black History Month!! Wooot!
I have Sankofa! It took me some coniving to get a hold of The Spook Who Sat by the Door...but I gots that too...
You forgot Cooley High (but they have been showing that on hbo) and Claudine. I heart that movie.
I get a month for my blackness and a day for the native side of me (Indigenous Day)...should I be complaining...or just go 'head and be happy I got either?
Good post.
Happy Black History month....
Loved roots...might have been a small part of black history but it was a powerful one..
This new Halle Berry/Oprah movie looks like it will be a nice one...
I am so tired of seeing the same movies, specials every year!!!!
Not only do they play Roots, but they re-air it over and over throughout the month as if it tells our entire history. There are plenty to be shown, more than enough to premier a different one everyday. I ended up starting a collection just so my little sisters will have something new to watch.
And apparently Tyler Perry's flicks have made it into the line-up. As if showing 4 Little Girls, Bamboozled, The Middle Passage (and so many others) would just be too much.
Great post!
Sankofa is great! I love when he looks at the model and says and you return to your source!
Jaycee
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