The mission of The Department of Afro-American Research Arts and Culture to identify the global significance of the creative contributions pioneered by an international diaspora of Blackness
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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920)






















 Starring:
Storyline
After the death of her grandfather, Evon Mason, a young black woman from Selma, Alabama, travels to the Northwest to identify the mine claim she had been willed. There, Evon meets Hugh Van Allen, a black man seeking his fortune. Hugh, who loves Evon but thinks that she is white, discovers oil, thereby arousing the enmity of Tom Cutschawl, a racist Southerner, and Jefferson Driscoll, a black man passing for white who hates his own race. These two provoke an attack of the Ku Klux Klan to drive Hugh off the land, but Evon rescues Hugh, and the Klan is routed. Evon and Hugh eventually resolve their misunderstanding and live happily ever after.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)


















Starring:
  • Tony Randall
  • Eddie Hodges
  • Archie Moore
IMDB.com
Huckleberry Finn, a rambuctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi River. Accompanying him is Jim, a slave running away from being sold. Together the two strike a bond of friendship that takes them through harrowing events and thrilling adventures.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Hell Up In Hollywood: Soul Cinema and the 70s (2003)
















Great documentary on "blaxploitation" films of the 1970's, featuring clips and interviews with many of the original participants. Whether you believe that these films reinforced negative stereotypes, acted as vehicles for empowerment (on- and off-screen), or both, this is an excellent introduction to this oft-neglected film genre.