Black Arts Journal Entry - Week 9 (3/15/23): "One Nation Under A Groove", "Colloquium on the legacy of Betty Carter", and "Bloodlight and Bami"

The documentary "One Nation Under A Groove" chronicles the birth of the P-Funk movement in the 1970s, which George Clinton and his band Parliament-Funkadelic pioneered. The movie delves into the band's beginnings and shows how they combined several musical styles, including funk, rock, and soul, to produce a distinctive sound that appealed to listeners. The documentary includes rare footage of the band's performances as well as interviews with band members, music reviewers, and fans. The movie also looks at how P-Funk's music reflected the challenges and aspirations of the black community in the social and political setting of the day. In the end, "One Nation Under A Groove" honors P-Funk's enduring history and its influence on music and culture.

Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove (1978, Vinyl) | Discogs

The jazz soprano Betty Carter's life and legacy are discussed during the colloquium on her legacy. A panel of scholars and artists will talk about Carter's distinctive style and approach to jazz singing, her contributions to the genre, and her influence on future jazz musicians during the colloquium. The panel also considers the difficulties Carter encountered as a black woman working in the music business and how she overcame them to become an inspiration to many. The colloquium includes live performances of some of Carter's songs and a screening of a documentary about her life and career. Overall, the colloquium honors Betty Carter's lasting contributions to jazz and her significance to the genre.

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A documentary called "Bloodlight and Bami" is about the legendary singer and entertainer Grace Jones, who was born in Jamaica. The movie provides a close-up look at Jones and her complicated personality, tracing her development from a shy little Jamaican girl to a global icon recognized for her androgynous aesthetic and fearless performances. Live concert video, behind-the-scenes looks at Jones' personal life, and interviews with family members, friends, and fans are all included in the documentary. Jones considers her creative process, her battles with addiction and romantic relationships, and her position as a black woman in the entertainment business throughout the entire movie. At the end of the day, "Bloodlight and Bami" provides an engrossing look at Jones' aesthetic vision and enduring impact on fashion, music, and culture.

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami movie cover

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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

Cultural Production in the media in 2022 is nowadays more expansive and more diverse in the communities the media decides to represent. But this exact issue of what the media can choose what communities to represent and what about that community they can represent can lead to several issues. It can give the public a false view of what that community actually is, leading them to create hurtful stereotypes of them or to mis-accurately represent their culture. Just like in Thomas Allen Harris' film, "Goes Through Darkly Lens", he discusses how the media representing the African American community in America's history of archives represent hurtful stereotypes of his community. If it isn't a black person behind those camera lens taking these images, then that is what leads to these hurtful stereotypes and for them to be discriminated against in a majorly white society. Representation matters and it is what shapes people's images of the black community.

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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