Black Cinema

In this seminar, we will explore Black cinema from the silent era to the present. Black Americans have been involved in producing, directing and acting in films since the beginning of filmmaking. Their early movies were not often seen by non-Black audiences, however. Today films featuring multicultural casts aimed at multicultural audiences, and those that include American Blackness as an essential aspect of the storyline, are readily available. We will explore this evolution together.

We will watch films on our own for discussion in class. Each class will include discussion of the assigned film as well as a presentation on a related topic. Moderators will select films for discussion that are available on Netflix or free streaming services such as tubi or Kanopy.