This course offers students the opportunity to look at the changing influence of film in American society through the changes in race and politics following the end of the Civil Rights movement. From the controversial Blaxploitation films of the 1970s to the films of Spike Lee in the 1990s, students will grapple with the challenges that films bring to American cinema and politics when Black experiences and characters are centralized. By understanding these alternative visions of the United States outside of the typical American dream, students will come to understand the multifaceted ways that film is in conversations with Black politics and intellectual thought. Through readings by Malcolm X, Angela Davis, bell hooks, and Cornel West students will understand the importance of Black filmmakers telling their own stories and their thoughts on the American experience.
- Teacher: Paul Edwards