LARTS 363 — The African American Experience in Film

3 credits
Spring
Renée Baron

This class explores the major moments and themes of African American experience through the lens of film. With seminal essays by authors such as W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, bell hooks, and Saidiya Hartman to frame the historical and cultural context, we will investigate the significance of films such as Oscar Micheaux’s Within Our Gates, Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, and Cheryl Duyne’s Watermelon Woman. In particular, we will consider the ways in which the conversation around Black identity has shifted over time to address issues of class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. Finally, we will think through the issue of Black subjectivity and its relevance to the development of African American filmmaking.