Classified X (5)

Part 5 of 6

A history of the racially stereotyped portrayal of African Americans in cinema. Written and narrated by Melvin Van
Peebles, director of "revolutionary" film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Van Peebles is no angel, his films have been called exploitative, but this history is powerful.

Watch ALL 6 PARTS to see how stereotyped representations have evolved from early cinema to today.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• racism
• film
• black
• cinema
• blaxploitation
• history
• images
• african
• hollywood
• culture
• Peebles
• rap
• media

[jagib2]

that message is also that hollywood is still & always has been, the defender of ' the white superiority complex'.

so deeply rooted in american social/culture, this notion of race is.

it may take many generations to overcome racism that has been intrinsic to America since before it's birth.

[ethansolal]

Thank you I was looking for it.

[cnalady1979]

OBAMA FOR 2012

[blacksultan85]

i heard when ppl in Europe saw the Civil Rights Movement on TV about black folks in the south being showered with milkshake by whites in a diner,they shook they heads and said ''i thought America was suppose to be the land of the free''

[2Baiforev]

they should have known the guy was fake by the way he was singing!! Fake!!!

[Pfield82]

Melvin, isn't wasting time. He's talking about history. Somethings a younger generation might not even know about. Also, it's easy to just tell someone to make movies when it's hard as hell do get a black film made and distrubuted correctly these days.

[MGSFan22]

@pundar I noticed that his newer films are hard to find, specifically Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha and Bellyful, but I heard great things about them and I'd love to get the chance to watch them.

[pundar]

@MGSFan22 unless he has a time machine ha can't go back and change the past. If he wants to change the landscape of filmmaking he needs to make a film, one that actually has a plot and one that's palatable to a big audience. What i see is an old man who's bitching about movies. Yes there has been a lot of really horrible stereotypes, but everyone knows that. He's only wasting time with this project when he can make one that can actually be positive.

[MGSFan22]

@pundar Everything he said will always be relevant, he's not bitching, he's telling you the truth, whether you accept it or not is your problem.

[pundar]

melvin van peebles needs to quit bitching about the past. if he wants to do something make a film.

[ronnymob]

thanks for posting we need this knowledge this is the truth

[Angelmickey32]

what movie is at 6:16