Intersectionality

Finally, I want to introduce the film that we are

asking you to watch this week.

Black is Black Ain't.

It's a 1995 documentary by the filmmaker Marlon Riggs to

my mind.

This film is an absolute masterpiece of contemporary american documentary

and cinema.

I've seen it many times and it just gets richer

with every viewing.

Riggs was an extremely interesting artist.

He was a queer black filmmaker who unfortunately died early

because of complications related to HIV AIDS.

And you'll see in the film that a number of

the scenes are filmed from riggs hospital bed.

He was very sick at the time that the film

was being made.

I wasn't sure that he would actually be able to

finish it.

And in fact the finishing touches were put on it

after his death.

The film really explores the complexities of black life and

the black community.

And uh riggs was really interested in trying to explode

or destroy the idea that blackness was one thing.

He was very concerned with the kinds of racial stereotypes

that have been running throughout american history about black people.

And he was very concerned about the ways that those

had also been internalized.

As a queer black man.

He often struggled to find a home within the black

community. And he also he also often struggled with um

feelings of self hatred, problems with self worth ideas about

not feeling that he had the quote unquote correct masculinity.

Um and this film really explores a lot of these

questions in terms of the black community and its relationship

to family, to music, to church and religion to patriarchy

to homophobia and sexism, but also to deep connections and

support between individual members and between men and women.

It's a it's a fascinating broad picture of intersectionality within

the black community and it's a it's a portrait that

could really only be made by someone who has experienced

all of those identities and the way that they impact

his life.

So in a similar way that the women in the

combat the river collective were starting from their own experience

and identities and using that as a way to create

an analysis riggs is doing the same thing here.

He's really starting from his own identity and trying to

use this as a way to create this kaleidoscopic picture

of black american experience, which is also a kind of

analysis. The film combines music, poetry, dance, traditional documentary.

Um it's full of incredibly iconic black american figures.

Um, some of these names, some of you may be

familiar with Angela Davis, bell hooks, Barbara smith, who we've

been talking about a lot today.

Michele Wallace, who was the author of a very famous

book called black macho and the myth of the superwoman,

the dancer and choreographer Bill T.

Jones, a poet named essex Hemphill, who you may remember.

It was Hempel who read smoke lilies and jade The

Richard Bruce Nugent poem in the short film that you

watched looking for Langston, I told you to pay particular

attention to that poem.

So, you'll see him returning in this documentary.

I think that you'll really enjoy this film.

Your weekly assignment for this week, which is coming up,

is related to it.

And I'm also hoping that you have a chance to

talk about this in your sections.

And just one note, you'll access this through c c

L E.

There's a link to canopy.

You need to log into canopy using your credentials and

if you're off campus, you need to be using the

VPN to be able to access the film for anyone

who's interested.

I added one additional article this week, which is a

piece from the new yorker.

It's by Kiyonga Yama to tailor the Pulitzer Prize winning

author of Race for a profit.

And it's a it's not a very long piece, but

it's a beautiful piece about the Campbell River Collective and

particularly how that statement has really influenced and shaped taylor's

own life.

Okay, I am going to now show you the weekly

assignment for this week

Intersectionality

Chapters

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