MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
THINK OF DOCUMENTARIES AS CHEAP AND EASY HISTORY
#MeToo Related Documentaries
BLACK CHICK A LITTLE ROCKED Commentary/Review
Ruby McCollum’s landmark case haunted a southern predominantly white town for decades This is the story of a relatively well-off, married African-American woman who murdered a prominent white doctor/ Senator-elect in Live Oak, Florida after he subjected her to years of rape using white men's "paramour rights." Incredible secrets and terrible truths were revealed during her trial and incarceration which our society still hasn't learned enough from
Zora Neale Hurston, though discredited during that moment in history, wound up being instrumental in drawing national attention to McCollum's story
I'd like to see this documentary redone by a black feminist as some things should have been researched until they were clearer, but as it stands this documentary shows how black women literally sacrificed their bodies and minds to preserve their families. Of course, my view of McCollum's story is an interpretation. And her story is subjected to so sexist and misogynistic interpretations by the end of the documentary by McCollum's own son
This documentary --which I did have to watch in fits and starts, using my rewind button quite a bit-- winds up being a critical find as far as seeing how racism and sexism and rape culture intersected for black women in the Post-Reconstruction and Jim Crow South.
I'd really like to see this documentary re-done. It's fascinating
(Last seen on Amazon Prime With No Description At All-- SO COMPLAIN TO AMAZON)2. "The Rape Of Recy Taylor" (In theaters February 2018)
I haven't read AT THE DARK END OF THE STREET YET. But I do hope it describes the life of black domestics too. It wasn't until recently that I even thought about how subject to the sexual whims of white men black women were when the only job available to most of them was being a white woman's maid -- which reminds me of a certain Viola Davis movie.
While the movie THE HELP was funny and had virtually no men in it with any significant speaking roles. because it was clearly produced in such a way as to educate white or non-black audiences only, it was a major oversight to skip over the rape threat that white men were to black maids in that movie.'
From Filmmaker's Website
"Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. Common in Jim Crow South, few women spoke up in fear for their lives. Not Recy Taylor, who bravely identified her rapists. The NAACP sent its chief rape investigator Rosa Parks, who rallied support and triggered an unprecedented outcry for justice.
Our film exposes a legacy of physical abuse of black women and reveals Rosa Parks’ intimate role in Recy Taylor’s story. An attempted rape against Parks was but one inspiration for her ongoing work to find justice for countless women like Taylor. The 1955 bus boycott was an end result, not a beginning.
More and more women are now speaking up after rape. Our film tells the story of black women who spoke up when danger was greatest; it was their noble efforts to take back their bodies that led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and movements that followed. The 2017 Global March by Women is linked to their courage. From sexual aggression on ‘40s southern streets to today’s college campuses and to the threatened right to choose, it is control of women’s bodies that powered the movement in Recy Taylor’s day and fuels our outrage today."
Pop-out link to the trailer
https://www.therapeofrecytaylor.com/trailer-1/Recy Taylor died at the end of 2017. She was mentioned by Oprah in her #MeToo Speech at the Golden Globes in 2018
MORE DOCUMENTARIES FROM SHADOWANDACT.COM
3— “Free Angela & All Political Prisoners” (2013)4 — Another Shola Lynch film, “Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed” (2004)
5 — “Audre Lorde – The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992” (2012)
6 — “Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai” (2008)
7 — “Beah: A Black Woman Speaks” (2003)
8 — “Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun” (2008)
9 — “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth” (2013)
10 — “Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin’ to Tell You” (2013)
11 — “Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess” (2015)
12 — “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” (2016)
13 — “T-Rex” (2016)
14 — “A Ballerina’s Tale” (2015)
15 — “Iron Ladies of Liberia” (2007)
16 — “The Real Shirley Bassey” (2001)
17 — “Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee” (2014)
http://shadowandact.com/2017/03/28/15-documentaries-about-black-women-to-watch-as-womens-history-month-comes-to-an-end/
BLACK CHICK A LITTLE ROCKED Commentary/Review
I had already put the "Strong Black Woman" stereotype away as far as being something I aspired to. But for some reason I'd let Nina Simone live in my memory as someone who had been "successful" at being "strong black woman" And she was anything but that.
This documentary really put the final nails in Strong Black Woman's coffin as far as my psyche goes. I highly recommend watching this one.
19- Fannie Lou Hamer - This Little Light Of Mine (Amazon)
BLACK CHICK A LITTLE ROCKED Commentary/Review
I've seen a very short documentary on Hamer. I'm pretty sure this is not it. It looks like it's been praised quite a bit and is being sold to schools. If your kid says they're showing it at their school, make sure you go "visit" that day because it looks to be expensive.)
20- All Jokes Aside: Black Women In Comedy" (New From VH1)
This features a host of talented ladies—including Martin’s Tichina Arnold and Insecure‘s Yvonne Orji—discussing how they deal with racism, sexism and the lack of representation in the industry. -
http://people.com/tv/black-women-in-comedy-documentary-vh1/
21- "Venus and Serena" (Netflix)
"Ever since Venus and Serena Williams started playing in tennis tournaments, they've provoked strong reactions - from awe and admiration to suspicion and resentment. They've been winning championships for over a decade, pushing the limits of longevity in such a demanding sport. How long can they last? In Venus & Serena, we gain unprecedented access into their lives during the most intimidating year of their career. Over the course of 2011, Venus grappled with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease while Serena battled back from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Neither Venus nor Serena let their adversities hold them back. They drew their greatest strength from each other."http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2376024/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
22 - The Life and Crimes Of Doris Payne
Tells the real life story of an 80 year old international jewel thief. Features interviews with Doris Payne, her daughter and son, her childhood best friend and law enforcement officers. Doris tells stories that include a daring escape, how she used "sleight of hand", and the first time she "took" a piece of jewelry at the age of 10. As the movie begins we see Doris dealing with her most current charges and the possibility of facing a term in prison. From there the film goes back and forth between the past and the present until we finally learn what her destiny will be after over 50 years as an international jewel thief.
Tessa Thompson is reportedly on board to turn this documentary into a blockbuster movie in the next year or so!
BLACKCHICKROCKED.BLOGSPOT.COM
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