The Department of Afro American Research, Arts and Culture

What is Blaxploitation?

Black American films made for Black audiences in the 1970s are known as Blaxploitation films. These films, often set in urban environments, controversially portrayed Black Americans on screen. During an interview with Variety Magazine, the term, coined by journalist and one-time NAACP head Junius Griffin, was used to describe negative depictions in the film "Superfly" (1972). These films put Black audiences in a position to embrace films that may negatively portray Blacks. By the literal expressions, "Black" and "Exploitation" mean that blacks are exploited. Most Black films made could be considered Blaxploitation, but the term was particularly used for Black-themed movies during the 1970s, the exploitation era.

Not every Black film or film that stars a Black actor is a Blaxploitation film. There are specific characteristics we consider, and certain films set the standards. While "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" (1971) is the first Blaxploitation film in the eyes of many, it's not the first of its kind. Exploitation films, in general, started to surge in the 1960s. Conservative filmmaking in Hollywood took a turn for the more unmentionable movies that would magnify sex, violence, horror, and discrimination. The Civil Rights Era of Black themed films introduced some of these exploitative factors. Early examples of Blaxploitation films:

Genres, themes, and marketing are the top three characteristics we consider in defining a film as Blaxploitation. Main styles include crime, action, drama, and comedy. Other popular genres and themes with fewer movies include horror, thriller, western, sexploitation, and slavery. There are different genres covered, but these films were not made in excess, such as biography, history, music, and sports.

The characteristics of Blaxploitation films become more subjective to the viewer. Typical Blaxploitation films feature an all-Black cast and a dedicated soundtrack by some of the most popular funk and soul artists of the 70s. Movies like The Mack, Let’s Do It Again, Bucktown, Across 110th Street, Black Caesar, Foxy Brown, Black Belt Jones, The Spook Who Sat By The Door, and Shaft are some of the approved Blaxploitation films. These films featured some of the most prominent African-American actors in Hollywood. They were highly sought out for their talent and popularity, which helped surge the market in the mid-70s (see graphic below).

Blaxploitation era will be define between 1971 and 1979. Some films between 1970 and 1971 will be considered "early blaxploitation" and some films before 1969 will be considered "pre-blaxploitation." Junius Griffin coined the term in 1972 with "Superfly." Lastly, certain films after 1980 will be considered post-blaxploitation for research purposes.

Subgenres of Blaxploitation films

Blax-Fu

Westerns

List of films during the Blaxploitation Era
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