African American Film Class Review

By: Ayana Coleman-Dixon

There’s a rich history revolving around the African American community and American history. So much depth and strength that not many people realize comes with the territory of being African American. The African American Film class was not only informative but felt very personal when discussing and watching the movies that were hand-picked. I loved that there were movies that ranged from innovative and fun to downright depressing. Experiencing my blackness here in America is very similar to those mixed feelings of the experience of a Black individual. There are moments when I feel my people are celebrated and appreciated, but then there are moments where I question if certain people even see our worth.

America is a very tough country to survive in and it's shown through the films we had to watch. It’s evident that the majority of people in our country know that this is a reality, they know that it’s a problem but there still seems to be little to nothing done about the brutal nonsensical killings of Black people in America every day. This year, 2020, was a lot to take in not only as a Black individual but as someone who is empathetic to the people suffering around me. I’ll be honest, watching more than half of the movies recommended, even when I’ve seen them before, was very hard to watch. For example, I try to never watch movies like 12 Years of Slave because it brings out a lot of emotions in me when I see people who look like me and my ancestors being mistreated in that way. Another movie that was hard to watch, which not even my mother has not seen because it's too much for her personally, is Fruitville Station. During this class was my first time ever seeing the film and I felt so sorry for the characters that it made me shed tears.

Whether many people realize it or not, watching these movies has different effects on Black vs. non-Black people. Not saying that non-Black people can’t empathize, but they will never truly understand what it’s like wearing the label of Black through the entirety of your life. This is why I and many other Black individuals get sensitive when people either try so hard to emulate Black people, fashion, or culture. When we do it we're made fun of, ridiculed, and in some cases even killed for displaying our sense of self. It’s a saying we have in the Black community that perfectly encapsulates it, “everybody wants to be Black until it’s time to be Black.” This statement still rings true today, more now than ever. We as a community still have ways to go when it comes to rebuilding the trauma and pain we’ve endured and been accustomed to for hundreds and thousands of years. 

My personal top five movies selected for my film class would have to be in the order of Fresh (1994), Black Panther (2018), Do The Right Thing (1989), Get Out (2017), and Da 5 Bloods (2020). (And no I didn't place Da 5 Bloods last because it was a bad film, I just hated the fact that the movie made me ugly cry since the talented actor Chadwick Boseman stars in it and he had passed away that same year.) These movies are all amazing in their own right, but despite watching all the films there are still many that don’t even scratch the surface of what Black individuals go through and experience here in America. It is my great wish that Black performers and artists get greater recognition in the future and evermore. We need more diverse stories revolving around things other than the hood, slavery, and civil rights, and stereotypes around Black people. Not saying the recording of these events aren't crucial, but I would love to see more uplifting roles for African Americans in the film industry's future. We as a people are more than just comic relief and we deserve to have our voices and stories heard from us by us.

There are however some recent movies that I have enjoyed such as Antebellum (2020), Moonlight (2016), Queen & Slim (2019), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), and many more. I also hope to see more romantic comedies, kids, and documentary media that have Black people as the center focus. I want to thank my professor, Alex Symmons, for providing excellent courses even in Covid situations. Not only did I feel he took the time to study these movies but he was asking us students questions that made me as a viewer think. There are again a lot more stories to be heard from Black experiences and we’re only just beginning to scratch the surface.