#28daysisnotenough

[ejbarnes]

Two films to watch back-to-back before Black History Month is over

My partner and I have been watching movies every Friday night, taking turns choosing (or giving each other a short list that the other person picks from). We either stream from a non-subscription service (such as Vudu or Kanopy) or borrow DVDs from our public library.

As February is Black History Month -- despite Black history being inextricable from American history, and vice versa -- our February selections focused (sometimes distantly) on Black (mostly African-American) history.

After Devil in a Blue Dress (fiction, set in post-WWII LA), selections from a DVD set of early-20th-century African-American cinema (including features by Oscar Micheaux and shorts by Zora Neale Hurston), and Belle (very loosely based on a true story of a Black Englishwoman), we rounded out the month with two films whose makers wound up in court. In my opinion, these films should be seen together, because while the topic is the same, their treatment is complementary.

My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage (2008) (33m) is a half-hour documentary by Regina Kimbell. She interviews Black historians and literary figures, describing the historical background and social forces influencing how Black Americans deal with their hair in a white-dominated society. The common question answered by many of the interviewees: What does the (usually insulting) word "nappy" (as applied to hair) mean to you? (Note: One commentator remarks, incorrectly, that Black people in America are the only people who have had to deal with the political implications of hairstyles. While certainly this became a fraught issue for Black Americans in the 1960s and '70s, with the height of the "Afro" era, Scottish writer Charles Mackay, in his 1841 book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, has an entire chapter on the "Influence of Politics and Religion on the Hair and Beard.")

My Nappy Roots is interesting and informative. Photographs and engravings of African women with elaborate traditional hairstyles are shown. The film even mentions Madam C. J. Walker's lesser-known but influential mentor (and later rival) Annie Malone. Unfortunately, there were no DVDs of My Nappy Roots available in our library system, and the only place we could stream it was on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/156916436

By contrast, Good Hair (2009) (96m) is a feature-length film narrated by star comedian Chris Rock. Since Rock's film came so close on the heels of Kimbell's, she sued him for stealing her idea after she had shown him her film. Rock claims in his own film that his inspiration was hearing his little daughter ask him, "Daddy, why don't I have good hair?" Kimbell's suit failed in keeping Good Hair from wide release.

Some have said that Rock's treatment of the topic, though longer, is more superficial. I would argue, however, that they are different -- that they cover some of the same territory, but with different enough approaches that they are both worth watching.

Rock's Hollywood connections and HBO backing definitely lead to more razzle-dazzle: While Kimbell interviews Black scholars and journalists, Rock mostly interviews Black celebrities and businesspeople. The only person to appear in both films is A'lelia Bundles. I would argue that while Kimbell goes into more depth on the why, Rock goes into more depth on the how.

Both films cover the dangers of harsh chemical straighteners, but only Rock interviews beauty-parlor clients -- including, horrifyingly, those bringing in their small children for their first "perm". Both films mention braiding and the time and expense involved (although neither does much if anything with the braiding option of having artificial braids sewn to short-cropped natural hair). Rock also takes a deep dive into the "weave" -- the practice of having long, straight hair extensions woven to the scalp. He even goes to India to visit the source of most of the natural hair used in these extensions.

I think Rock spent too much time on the Black-haircare convention in Atlanta, particularly the competition between "star" hairdressers. While I was interested to learn how big this convention was, and how much of the Black-hair-product industry is owned by non-Black owners (particularly Asians), some of the interactions with Asian businesspeople were awkward without being revelatory in the muckraking-journalism tradition; comedian Rock was simply going for the laughs. Since the film is so close to 90 minutes, I have to wonder if the inclusion of the showbiz "final competition" at the convention was to fill up the minutes.

Rock interviewed one actress who had shaved her head because she had suffered from alopecia. This is quite a common problem -- it's something that happened to my own congresswoman, Ayanna Pressley. It also happened to Jada Pinkett-Smith; Rock's making of a film about the vicissitudes of Black hair care, including interviewing an alopecia sufferer, casts a curious light on his poking fun at Pinkett-Smith at a recent Oscars ceremony (incurring the wrath of her husband). All that I can guess is that he misjudged how well she would take the joke.

Unlike My Nappy Roots, Good Hair can be streamed on Vudu or Kanopy; it's also available on DVD, which is how we saw it (on a copy borrowed from our public library). I would recommend seeing both these films -- back-to-back if possible, preferably with the more deeply historical and political My Nappy Roots first. It takes only a little over 2 hours in all to do so.

[mrkinetik]

This is Jordan Peele. He is the first African American to win an Oscar for best original screenplay, for his film, Get Out. It is no longer February but Black history is happening daily and 28/29 days are not enough. Only 4 Black screenwriters have been nominated for this award...in 90 (NINETY) years. 90. Years. 4. Black screenwriters. I am a moviegoer that pays close attention to how many Black people are involved in the film, onscreen and behind the scenes, and I was really ready to see this film when it came out. I think it’s phenomenal and is bigger than its runtime. There’s a lot going on in this movie that could be unpacked if you’re into that sort of thing. I don’t expect every viewer to do all that but should you choose to do so, you can learn a few things about what being Black can feel like sometimes. Cheers to a history maker in 2018, because Black folks are still finding areas to be the “first” in some 400+ years after arriving in what is now known as America. Right on Jordan Peele, thanks for sharing your cinematic expressions with us. #jordanpeele #blackhistory #oscars #28daysisnotenough #jaaamaccordingly #getout

[mamatorie]

#blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #28daysisnotenough #february

[cartermagazine]

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[vincentvangobot-blog]

Congrats to Steve McQueen on his #Oscar win for Best Picture, the 1st Black director in history to receive the prestigious award! #blackhistory #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #bhm #28daysisnotenough #blackhistory365

[mamatorie]

#blackhistorymonth #february #28daysisnotenough #proud #mixedgirl 😎✌🏽️

[cartermagazine]

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[cartermagazine]

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[cartermagazine]

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[cartermagazine]

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[cartermagazine]

WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE to never forget those taken from their home and sold by their own... For those traveled alone, but didn't make it and thrown... For those who EDUCATED their own, because they were left to be unknown... Your fight and struggle for MY RIGHTS will never be forgotten; instead it will be etched in stone... We pledge allegiance to our ANCESTORS, as the flag is held high... You will never be forgotten... You HISTORY will be told followed with questions of WHY? - CARTER™ www.carter-mag.com #blackhistory365days #28daysisnotenough (at www.carter-mag.com)