Black Arts Journal Entry - Week 1 (1/11/23): Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro"

Raoul Peck's documentary, "I Am Not Your Negro", explores the history of racism and violence against Black Americans. The movie is based on a book by James Baldwin that is unfinished and in which he considers the lives and deaths of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.

The movie provides a strong and intimate viewpoint on the history of racism in the United States, from the Civil Rights era to the present, using archive video, interviews, and Baldwin's own words. Peck draws comparisons between the struggles of the past and the current struggle for racial equality by fusing Baldwin's observations with modern images of police violence and racial injustice.

"I Am Not Your Negro" is a powerful and urgent plea to address systematic racism that still permeates American society. It also serves as a reminder of Baldwin's ongoing influence as a voice for justice and equality.

I Am Not Your Negro de Raoul Peck (2016) - Unifrance

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Black Arts Journal Entry - Week 8 (3/8/23): "Nothing But A Man" and "Killer of Sheep"

In the early 1960s, a Black man named Duff Anderson lived in the American South. His experience is told in the indie film "Nothing But A Man" filmed in 1964. In a society that is severely divided by racism and segregation, the movie examines issues of race, class, identity, and relationships. Duff Anderson, a train worker, develops feelings for Josie Dawson, a teacher. The social and cultural obstacles erected by their various cultures, as well as Duff's own struggles to find his identity and sense of purpose in a world that doesn't treat him with respect or decency, complicate their connection. The film's portrayal of the Black experience in the South is unvarnished and honest, highlighting the widespread prejudice and violence that Black people must endure on a daily basis. The movie also conveys a message of optimism and resilience, as Duff and Josie face their difficulties with strength and grace. "Nothing But A Man" is widely considered as a poten...

Black Arts Journal Entry - Week 2 (1/18/23): Issue in Cultural Production in 2022

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Black Arts Journal Entry - Week 11 (3/29/23): Raoul Peck's "Exterminate All the Brutes"

Raoul Peck's four-part miniseries "Exterminate All The Brutes" examines the history of colonialism, genocide, and white supremacy from a variety of angles. In the first episode, Peck examines the historical causes of racism and colonialism in ancient Greece and Rome. He contends that Europeans established the idea of the "Other" to legitimize their dominance over other cultures and peoples. In episode 2, Peck looks at the awful effects on indigenous communities of the genocidal acts committed by European colonizers in the Americas. He also examines the ways in which the concept of the "frontier" and the notion of "Manifest Destiny" were utilized to support the colonization of the West and the eradication of Native Americans. Peck explores the horrific realities of slavery in the Americas and the transatlantic slave trade in episode 3. He also looks at how systematic inequality and racial relations are still shaped by slavery in contemporary...

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