A Very Brief History of Black Hollywood

Film Series on Fridays @ 10 – 11:30 am on
November 11, 18
December 2, 9, 16

This five-week seminar will examine the changing characterizations of African Americans in film since D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915).  While there is a rich history of African Americans in film both behind and in front of the camera, film scholar Donald Bogle states, “No racial group or ethnicity was more blatantly distorted than African Americans.”

Together we will discuss five films representing different eras in film history that reflect the changing depiction of African Americans against a changing social and cultural landscape. These facilitated discussions will be guided by questions designed to both examine the film, its cultural and artistic significance, and its place in the history of Black film.

Participants will view the five films on their own. Films will be available through streaming on Amazon Prime or Netflix and at minimal cost.

Participation Limit:  10 seats