I need everyone in here to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
And watch these movies:
Imitation of Life (both versions) Carmen Jones Lady Sings the Blues Sparkle (original version) Cooley High The Color Purple The Five Heartbeats Glory In The Heat of the Night Claudine Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Coming to America New Jack City School Daze A Soldier's Story The Josephine Baker Story (didn't someone here say once they had never heard of her?!) Malcolm X (but not until you have read the book!) Lean On Me Lillies of the Field Rosewood Waiting to Exhale Porgy And Bess The Great White Hope The Wiz
Other folks help me out here, that's all I can think of at the moment.
I've only seen I think 6 of these, but I have seen Lean on Me approximately 400 times, so does that count?
I was obsessed with the movie/book waiting to exhale and also loved how Stella got her groove back. I remember being one of two white girls (other one was my BFF) in the theater to see the latter on opening night.
I also remember being obsessed with the soundtrack for Waiting to Exhale.
This and before it's said again I went to school with plenty of kids from very affluent neighborhoods and every last one of them has seen Roots and know who Alex Haley is. That isn't an excuse for your school not exposing you to a very important story I don't care how fucking made up some parts are because really Roots only touched on the horrors of slavery. Now let me go back and read the start of this thread again because I know someone here isn't proud their relative was a different slave owner than the one portrayed in Roots. If so that's about as damn rich as Katie Couric talmbout her ancestors were "farmers" Louisiana.
Yes!
To be clear, the cultural significance of Roots is as follows:
One: It was a miniseries featuring a nearly all black cast that earned a spot on television over the course of several nights in an era where there were only three channels.
Two: There were no white saviors to relieve the awfulness of what happened.
Three: It didn't shy away from handing the actual details of slavery and the horror of it.
Four: High caliber black actors in a huge production on the damned television
Five: The continuing contribution of these moments to enduring black culture specifically and pop culture in general
Six: It opened a national dialogue about slavery less than 20 years after the Civil Rights Act, less than 20 years after they were forcing Dorothy Dandridge to use the back entrance and draining pools because she stuck her toe in the white hotel pool, less than 20 years after they shot MLK, Malcolm X, and less than 30 years after they killed Emmitt Till.
OK, I am for real going to bed this time, but I sincerely appreciate this explanation.
I have a huge list of books and movies to read and watch, so it's always good to know what should be moved to the top of the list and why.
You are correct. Someone here isn't proud their relative was a different slave owner. I was only trying to say that I want to be able to shut up my stupid relative who went on and on about it, like he was proud to be related to John Waller because of the Alex Haley connection. I get it that this is a pitiful distinction, I do. But when I'm dealing with him, I'll gladly take anything I can.
How does this conversation go? "Dude no we are related to am entirely different rapist!"
I need everyone in here to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
And watch these movies:
Imitation of Life (both versions) Carmen Jones Lady Sings the Blues Sparkle (original version) Cooley High The Color Purple The Five Heartbeats Glory In The Heat of the Night Claudine Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Coming to America New Jack City School Daze A Soldier's Story The Josephine Baker Story (didn't someone here say once they had never heard of her?!) Malcolm X (but not until you have read the book!) Lean On Me Lillies of the Field Rosewood Waiting to Exhale Porgy And Bess The Great White Hope The Wiz
Other folks help me out here, that's all I can think of at the moment.
I've only seen I think 6 of these, but I have seen Lean on Me approximately 400 times, so does that count?
Lol this is me except with Coming to America. I love that movie so much.
ETA I've even been to the real McDowells in Elmhurst! Except it's actually a Wendy's.
You are correct. Someone here isn't proud their relative was a different slave owner. I was only trying to say that I want to be able to shut up my stupid relative who went on and on about it, like he was proud to be related to John Waller because of the Alex Haley connection. I get it that this is a pitiful distinction, I do. But when I'm dealing with him, I'll gladly take anything I can.
How does this conversation go? "Dude no we are related to am entirely different rapist!"
freshhell, there is nothing to take here. There really, really isn't. You descended from slave owners. There's nothing you can do about that, nothing you can do or say to mitigate any of that. You can't help who you were born to anymore than I can help that I'm black. So leave it alone. Your cousin is abhorrent but there's no comfort to take from who your ancestor is and whether the slave he owned was famous or not. The story Alex Haley told, plagiarized or not is rather accurate in terms of what happened to the majority of slaves. Just because there isn't official documentation doesn't mean the slaves under your ancestor didn't suffer those fates and worse.
Just let it go and say no more before mere's eye jumps out of her damned socket.
I need everyone in here to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
And watch these movies:
Imitation of Life (both versions) Carmen Jones Lady Sings the Blues Sparkle (original version) Cooley High The Color Purple The Five Heartbeats Glory In The Heat of the Night Claudine Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Coming to America New Jack City School Daze A Soldier's Story The Josephine Baker Story (didn't someone here say once they had never heard of her?!) Malcolm X (but not until you have read the book!) Lean On Me Lillies of the Field Rosewood Waiting to Exhale Porgy And Bess The Great White Hope The Wiz
Other folks help me out here, that's all I can think of at the moment.
The Wiz was awful. AWFUL.
I have yet to see Glory. I know I should, but eh. I have seen a lot of these, but also not NJC.
42 needs to be on there, too. And 12 Years a Slave. And Belle.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
I was shocked last year when I was teaching excerpts from Olaudah Equiano's autobiography and discovered that none of my students had ever heard of Roots. I can't say whether I'm pleased or really upset that this isn't an isolated phenomenon. I grew up in Utah in the 80's and 90's; there IS no more sheltered, white bread childhood than that, people! And I saw Roots! In my all-white history class! Twice! And read the book!
If you haven't seen and read it, do. It doesn't just represent important black history, it represents important American history. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic, whatever, you need to know it.
I need everyone in here to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
And watch these movies:
Imitation of Life (both versions) Carmen Jones Lady Sings the Blues Sparkle (original version) Cooley High The Color Purple The Five Heartbeats Glory In The Heat of the Night Claudine Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Coming to America New Jack City School Daze A Soldier's Story The Josephine Baker Story (didn't someone here say once they had never heard of her?!) Malcolm X (but not until you have read the book!) Lean On Me Lillies of the Field Rosewood Waiting to Exhale Porgy And Bess The Great White Hope The Wiz
Other folks help me out here, that's all I can think of at the moment.
Oh my God, I loved this movie so much. I wanted to be Diana Ross in the worst way.
How about the time I convinced my mom we should rent Boyz in the Hood? I still remember her being all "maybe I shouldn't have rented this.." I'm not sure what she thought it was about and it was rated R. She never let us watch R rated movies, so I'm not sure why she relented for that.
I'm pretty sure it was shortly after it came out and it was before we moved to the house they currently love in which would have been when I was 11 or so.
I don't think I knew about Chuck Berry being a perv. I know now that I googled it, but wwwwwwwwww. While they were pooping?!?
Whaaaaaaaaaaat, you didn't know? You have to go watch Cadillac Records. It's not a fabulous movie but it's a great one for getting in a little black folks music history. Race records, the chicken circuit, and an interesting discussion on why Chuck Berry was always getting his ass arrested for indecency with a minor (before the cameras and pooping) but Jerry Lee Lewis marries a 13 year old and all is grand.
Cousin. His 13 year old cousin (though I am not sure all was good-his career tanked because of it).
I am not sure I will watch it, but I will watch Get On Up when it comes out. I know it is just James Brown, but his interactions will be good.
Whaaaaaaaaaaat, you didn't know? You have to go watch Cadillac Records. It's not a fabulous movie but it's a great one for getting in a little black folks music history. Race records, the chicken circuit, and an interesting discussion on why Chuck Berry was always getting his ass arrested for indecency with a minor (before the cameras and pooping) but Jerry Lee Lewis marries a 13 year old and all is grand.
dennis quaid showed me it ruined his career.
it really did. lewis never had a hit after great balls of fire
I was obsessed with the movie/book waiting to exhale and also loved how Stella got her groove back. I remember being one of two white girls (other one was my BFF) in the theater to see the latter on opening night.
I also remember being obsessed with the soundtrack for Waiting to Exhale.
I was the only for Stella. I still will watch that movie.
Fair East Side High lead ooooooooon to Viiiiiictory!!
My H said he can't remember if he saw this, we were just talking about it tonight ! Guess what we are doing this weekend..... Yup.
All I gotta do is stay black and die.
That is an amazing line.
And yes, let us please add 42 to the black folks movie hall of fame.
Really though, you cannot be expected to find a black folks movie as hilarious as it could be if you're never seen the Color Purple. Harpo, who dis woman??
And Coming to America, OMG! Have you guys seen the music video for I Smile by Kirk Franklin? He and Steve Harvey's stupid self do a throwback to CtA that you have to watch lolol
Sexual Chocolate and Let your soul GLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!
I was obsessed with the movie/book waiting to exhale and also loved how Stella got her groove back. I remember being one of two white girls (other one was my BFF) in the theater to see the latter on opening night.
I also remember being obsessed with the soundtrack for Waiting to Exhale.
Um, pretty much anything Whitney did in the 90s. I owned it. The Bodyguard soundtrack, Waiting to Exhale, the Preacher's Wife. It was a good phase.
There a lot of great works of literature that people should read that they probably haven't but I don't think shame is the way to get more people to read them.