I’m not sure why Danny Glover
has not been able to make his film about the Haitian Revolution leader, Toussaint
L’ouverture. It could be that the
project has been underfunded. Black
folks have been trying to get films made in Hollywood ever since there has been
a Hollywood. Back in the seventies there
was talk of making a movie about Toussaint’s compatriot, Henry Christophe
in response to the efforts to make such a film with Anthony
Quinn in the starring role. Blair Underwood has been trying transform
the work of novelist Tanannarive
Due into a movie. There has even been talk of making my novel,
The Megalight Connection, into a movie by people in Hollywood. The list goes on.
The need for African Americans to tell our stories in film
as well as in books and other media, cannot be overstated. Oscar Micheaux,
who stands as one of my great personal heroes, touched on a plethora of issues,
not to mention employing hundreds of black actors and film crews people with
his courageous and groundbreaking filmmaking, going all the way back to the
silent film era. His work entertained, enlightened, educated,
and stood as a counter balance to the propaganda of D.
W. Griffith.
Given the progress that’s been made by Blacks in Hollywood, one
would think getting worthwhile projects realized would be doable. Is there some reason why the top twenty or so
money makers in Hollywood can’t pull resources- say anywhere from one to twenty
million per- to finance such projects?
Certain egos, I’m sure, would be problematic, particularly among those
with the greatest resources. But
structural safeguards could be put in place and worthwhile projects
completed. Just a thought.
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By now it’s obvious to anyone not named Guiliani
that some white cops really do want to shoot somebody black as a perk of the
job. (This became increasingly clear with the release of the rest of the
Cleveland tape that further
proved the cops were intent on murdering Tamir
Rice). It is equally obvious that the law enforcement
culture, including prosecutors, is set up to protect such individuals. Clearly, while greater screening would represent
a step in the right direction, there may be other things that can be done to
help change the culture.
Essence magazine, BET television, The NAACP and other organizations
host huge award shows that honor entertainers.
Why not include cops as honorees?
Clearly, the criteria would not be how many people the police officer
was able to shoot, but rather how does this officer positively impact the
community. The award should come with a
substantial monetary reward as added weight in changing the culture. Would this solve the problem? Of course not! But it would represent a tiny step in the
right direction of changing the police culture.
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We lost a true giant with the retirement of Bill Moyers from
broadcast television. People often ask
me how I get so much information. I
always tell them the Bill Moyers program.
And finally here's hoping 2015 brings all my readers the fulfillment they desire.
www.william griggs.net
www.william griggs.net
Systemic racism is in operation in all our major social and economic institutions. The film industry is no exception. There is no reason to cast white actors in roles of characters of color.
ReplyDeleteBill we are kindred spirits
ReplyDelete@Bev Collier and @ Cheryl Rainey, Thank you for your comments and interest. I would like to invite you to check out my web page re: my novel, The Megalight Connection." The book is not for everyone,it is a sci-fi novel that deals with WHY we are not the utpoia that exists on the planet Zarkon. We have racism sexism, etc., for one reason: we have to creatre a "them." If it's not race, it's religion, but we make a "them." You can't have conflict if there is only "us." Please check it out. I don't say this to everyone. www.william griggs.net
ReplyDeleteHollywood is a tough but to crack. Compounding the inherent racism is the fact that like most american institutions, the only thing they respond to is money.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of an award to honor "good" cops. It would accomplish two ends: it would dampen the narrative that all black folks hate the police. And it could provide models for truly "good" cops and their superiors to follow.
There are some Black movies being made. However, we should notice who is making the movies and the nature of the content. I submit that it is much easier to get a movie made if the moviemaker is either a Black person not born in the U.S. or a person who is not a heterosexual Black Man. Let us not discuss Tyler Perry’s exploits. Of course, all that changes if the content is silly. Therefore, the film industry is infected by the same racism that infects the rest of society. WE must realize that that racism takes more forms than just the physical murder of Black Men. A few months ago I saw a movie titled “Dear White People”. It was apparently popular among Black College students as it is set in a college and focuses on a White Fraternity Party where partygoers came as stereotypical Black Characters and in Blackface. It was an interesting concept especially given the fact that such controversial parties have been reported on several campuses over the last few years. The film however, seemed like a film version of Donald Bogle’s book about Black images in film, titled “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks”. Each of the stereotypical characters Bogle discusses in the book appears in this film. The leader of the African American group was a Mulatto woman who was in love with a white man. The ultimate hero was a Coon that seemed to be the answer to two burning questions in the Black Community: (1) “What ever happened to Farina/Buckwheat” and (2) “Yes Farina was gay”.
ReplyDeleteThe point is we must control and ultimately finance our own movies. Absent that, we will suffer through having nothing or have mostly films that lack a positive progressive viewpoint. At the same time, there is the question as to whether such progressive films can actually attract the audience necessary to support the cost in making the films. That is a real concern, as it seems we as a people are ready to support the silly while we question the more positive. Just see the reaction to Tyler Perry’s films, as opposed to a film like “12 Years A Slave” (which was produced by a brother from England).
The problem is that certain stories, certain perspectives are not of interest to those who finance films. It is not surprising that those who provide the financial support for films would be hesitant to support a film that shows Blacks defeating the “powerful French” on a Caribbean island.
Marcus Poole
@Marcus, your commentary was brilliant and insightful. My big take a away is the need for audiences to appreciate something beyond Tyler Perry. (I have come to feel that there is room for his movies, they just don't need to take ALL the oxygen). I was shocked at the negative reaction/ignorance that came from 12 years a slave, and wound up writing two blogs on slave movies and upholding our history. We may need a new approach to marketing serious black films. We also need a greater will by those who could do something to get them done. There is no excuse for not being able to make these films.
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