The overlooked yet vibrant history of Black participation in American
film, from the beginning of cinema through the civil rights movement
From the dawn of the medium onward, Black filmmakers have helped define
American cinema. Black performers, producers and directors--Bert
Williams, Oscar Micheaux, Herb Jeffries, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge,
Ruby Dee and William Greaves, to name just a few--had a vast and
resounding impact. Black film artists not only developed an enduring
independent tradition but also transformed mainstream Hollywood, fueled
and reflected sociopolitical movements, captured Black experience in all
its robust complexity, and influenced generations to come. As harrowing
as it is beautiful, this history of Black cinema and its legacy is often
overlooked.
Regeneration accompanies a first-of-its-kind exhibition at the Academy
Museum of Motion Pictures exploring seven decades of Black participation
in American cinema. Amplifying this underrepresented history in colorful
and striking detail, the book features an in-depth curatorial essay and
scholarly case-study texts on topics such as early Black independent
filmmaking, Black spectatorship during the Jim Crow era and home movies
as an essential form of Black self-representation. The volume also makes
meaningful connections to the present through interviews with
award-winning contemporary Black filmmakers Charles Burnett, Julie Dash,
Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins and Dawn Porter. An extensive filmography
and chronology offer an essential resource for anyone interested in
Black cinema, while images of contemporary visual artworks further
illustrate the volume throughout.
