Blacks In Films: Ethnographic Views AFA 4905 Sect. 2456 Wednesdays 3 PM – 6 PM Turlington Hall 2354 M. M. Thomas-Houston, Ph.D. Office Hours: Tues 12 Noon – 2 PM & Weds 11 AM – 12 Noon And by Appointment Turlington B372 Phone: 392-2253 Ext. 341 Email: [email protected]

Description: This seminar course explores the Requirements: There are no quizzes or impact of film--operating as a tool of scientific exams for this class. Students are investigation, entertainment, a means of required to attend each class, complete documentation, a channel of communication, a assigned readings (identifying 5 key shaper of opinion, a determiner of taste, an issues/questions addressed in the investment, and an artistic object--on society's readings), view films in and out of class, perceptions of African Americans. By treating keep a film log, participate in classroom film as ethnographic texts, tt focuses on such discussions by analyzing the visual issues as representation, construction of identity, content of selected frames, and write and the economic and political significance of three five-page critical essays. A Black images in popular culture cinematic research topic focusing on cultural and productions. In addition, it will investigate how social meanings attached to images in specific representations are influenced by political, cinema and their significance for social social, economic, and popular culture trends. policies and practices related to the Black experience in particular and US society in general is to be completed for interdisciplinary research paper and an in-class presentation. SCHEDULED TOPICS & FILMS Jan 5 - Course Introduction & Film (Ethnic Notions) GRADING SYSTEM Jan 12 - "Race as a Social Category" & Discussion Assignment Points Jan 19 - "The Image of Blacks in America" & Film Research Presentation 40 (Black Is, Black Ain't & *In Black and White) Research Critique 60 Jan 26 - "Black Bucks & Coons" – (Uncle Tom's Cabin) Key Issues 40 Feb 2 - "Demonizing the Black Male" – (The Birth of A Nation) Essay #1 15 Feb 9 - "Black Male Stereotypes" – (Amos ‘n Andy & *Our Gang Series) Essay#2 15 Feb 16 - "The New Negro" – (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) Essay#3 15 Feb 23 - "Roles for Black Women" & (Body and Soul) Attendance 15 Mar 2 – (Member of the Wedding) 200 Mar 9 - "Identity Crisis of The Tragic Mulatto" – (Imitation of Life) * * * * * Mar 16 – “Gender” – (She’s Gotta Have It) 180 - 200 = A Mar 23 - "Race Movies" – (Midnight Ramble) 170 - 179 = B+ Mar 30 - "Visual Imperialism" –(Hallelujah) 160 - 169 = B Apr 6 - "Economics of Blackness" - (Superfly) 150 - 159 = C+ Apr 13 - "Beautiful Black Culture" - (Crooklyn) 140 - 149 = C Apr 20 - "Revisionist Features" (Rosewood) 130 - 139 = D+ Final Exam Day – Presentation Critiques 120 - 129 = D

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REQUIRED READINGS

I. Takes on Race and Power Week 1 - "Race as a Social Category & The History of Blacks in Films" & Film Assignment: Library Research Select Review or Public Opinion Articles

W 1/5 - Introduction Week 2 - Film Reviews W 1/12 Shanklin, Eugenia 1994. Race as a Social Category, Not a Biological Fact. IN Anthropology and Race. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Pp 1-22.

Mapp, Edward 1972. Chapter 2. Silent Films and Chapter 3. Talkies Between the Wars. IN Blacks In American Films: Today and Yesterday. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 16- 28. Week 3 - "Politics in the Movies" & Film Reviews W 1/19 Gianos, Phillip L. 1996. Making Movies. IN Politics and Politicians in American Film. Westport, CT: Praeger. Pp.1-9

Combs, James 1993. Introduction: Understanding the Politics of Movies. IN Movies and Politics: The Dynamic Relationship. James Combs, ed. Pp 3-25. Week 4 - "Black Male Stereotypes" & Film Reviews W 1/26 Simcovitch, Maxim 1992. The Impact of Griffith’s Birth of A Nation on the Modern Ku Klux Klan. IN Celluloid Power: Social Film Criticism from The Birth of a Nation to Judgement at Nuremberg. . Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 72-89. Week 5 - "Black Bucks & Coons" – Film Reviews -- 1st Essay Due W 2/2 Cawelti, John G. 1993. Who’s Running This Show? Ideology, Formula, and Hegemony in American Film and Television IN Movies and Politics: The Dynamic Relationship. James Combs, ed. Pp. 31-53. Week 6 - "Demonizing the Black Male" - Film Reviews W 2/9 Hansberry, Lorraine 1992. The Case of the Invisible Force: Images of the Negro In Hollywood Films. IN Celluloid Power: Social Film Criticism from The Birth of a Nation to Judgement at Nuremberg. . Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 72-89. Week 7 - "The New Negro," "Roles for Black Women" & Film Reviews - Film Reviews W 2/16 Donalson, Melvin Burke 1982. Introduction. IN The Representation of Afro-American Women in the Hollywood Feature Film, 1915-1949. Dissertation. Brown University.

2 Week 8 --Research Topic Due - "Identity Crisis of The Tragic Mulatto" & Film Reviews W 2/23 Thaggert, Miriam 1998. Divided images: black female spectatorship and John Stahl’s “Imitation of Life.” African American Review, Fall 1998. V32. N3. Pp. (11) Week 9 - Spring Break – NO CLASS W 3/2 (Use time to catch up with reading assignments and film reviews.) Week 10 - “Gender” - Film Reviews – 2nd Essay Due W 3/9 Lubiano, Wahneema 1991. But Compared to What?: Reading Realism, Representation, and Essentialism in School Daz, Do the Right Thing, and the Spike Lee Discourse. Black American Literature Forum, Volume 25. Number 2 (Summer). Pp.253-281. Week 11 - "Race Movies" & Film Reviews W 3/16 Hooks, Bell 1990. Micheaux: Celebrating Blackness. Black American Literature Forum, Volume 25. Number 2. (Summer). Week 12 - "Visual Imperialism" & Film Reviews –Working Bibliography & Thesis Due W 3/23 Bowser, Pearl and Louise Spence 1996. Identity and Betrayal: The Symbol of the Unconquered and Oscar Micheaux’s “Biographical Legend.” IN The Birth of Whiteness: Race and the Emergence of U.S. Cinema. Daniel Bernardi, ed. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. Pp. 56-80. Week 13 – “Exploiting the Self” & Film Reviews W 3/30 Greene, Dennis 1994. Tragically Hip: Hollywood and African American Cinema. Cineaste v20, n4. October.

Rhines, Jesse Algeron 1995. The Political Economy of Black Film. Cineaste v21, n3. Summer Week 14 - "Beautiful Black Culture" & Film Reviews – 3rd Essay Due W 4/6 Lott, Tommy L. 1991. A No-Theory Theory of Contemporary Black Cinema. Black American Literature Forum, Volume 25, Number 2 (Summer). Pp. 221-236

Williams, John 1993. Re-creating their media image: two generations of black women filmmakers. Cineaste, Summer 1993 v20. N3. Pp. (12)

Week 15 – “Revisionism” & Film Reviews W 4/13 Week 16 – 10-minute Research Presentation W 4/20

3 Final Exam Day - Wednesday 4/27 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Presentation Critiques

Special Note: All assignments must be typed in MS Word, double- spaced, 12 pt Courier or Times font, include a cover page, works cited when necessary, and emailed by 5 PM on Due Dates.

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