Black History Month 2013 Day 1

This year I decided to take a look at some of my favorite films and television shows starring black actors. I have also asked　a few friends, Adam Ragan, Marvin Dangerfield, & Staci Robinson, to write up a few as well. These choices may not all be blockbuster releases, well-known, or critically acclaimed, but they have shaped our lives in one way or another. This is　not　to　say,　however,　that　these　are　the　only　films　or　television　programs　with　black　actors　that　have cultural significance or influence, but in the short 28 days allowed for Black History Month these are the ones we wanted to share with you. These choices are not only important to Black History, but American History in general. Do you agree? What would be on your list? Take a look and follow along for Black History Month 2013.

Before we start, I would like to thank the exceptionally talented Asheley Brown for contributing her genius to this year’s banner. Love you so much lady!

'Boyz N The Hood' (1991)

Cultural Significance:

John Singleton wrote and directed this 1991 feature film about childhood friends in South Central Los Angeles. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr in his breakout role along with Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, and (one of my main men) Ice Cube. The story follows a group of friends through the ups and downs of life in South Central.

This movie has significance in Black History and Cinematic History for a couple of reasons. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. This made John Singleton the youngest person to ever be nominated for Best Director, as well as the first African-American nominated for this award.

It had a budget of $6.5 million and grossed $57.5 million. It was also screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. In 2002 this film was deemed ‘culturally significant’ by the Library of Congress and in turn was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

The film is still referenced in rap music and had its 20th anniversary DVD release in 2011. Rotten Tomatoes, a movie review website, has given it a 96% rating and IMDB rates the film at 7.7 out of 10. Needless to say, the film still holds a lot of significance in popular culture.

Personal Significance:

Now, this movie has a really funny memory for me. Why, you ask? It is most definitely not a comedy, but the way I first watched it is very humorous. My parents used to tape movies off HBO and put all the titles down on a list. I would read through the list and find movies I thought were interesting, but needless to say in the mid-90s I was much too young to watch most of them. My parents would always say no when I said I wanted to watch Boyz ‘N’ The Hood, and the only reason I can think of that I wanted to watch it was because I thought the title was cool. So, one night when my grandma was babysitting us I got her to let us watch it. She said, “Are you sure you can watch this?” I said, “Of course! Mom and Dad let us watch it all the time.” As we get into the movie my grandma asks again (this time with more doubt in her voice) and I give the same answer (with more elation obviously). We finished it up and I went to bed. As you may guess, my parents were none too pleased, but that film has stuck with me forever. I never really thought about the violence, but I will always remember Cuba Gooding Jr’s impactful performance as Tre Styles.

If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend it for the strong performances and the powerful story. If you have seen it I recommend revisiting this fantastic film.

Sources:
Wikipedia
IMDB