A history of black influence, beauty, and culture
Black culture has shaped every area of American life. It’s critically important for us all to remember the horrors of slavery and the continuing legacy of the oppression of Black people in our country; but we believe it is just as important to remember that throughout the history of America, Black people have influenced, innovated, and created an important part of our cultural legacy as a country.
Black Influence, Resilience, and Success
In honor of this legacy, we wanted to celebrate Black achievement and contribution in these films about Black influence, resilience, and success. We encourage you to pick one (or more!) and reflect on the contributions and beauty of Black culture and community.
Toni Morrison
The Pieces I Am
Black Culture shaped our literacy landscape in ways that are powerfully obvious in “The Pieces I Am,” a documentary about Toni Morrison. From her childhood in the steel towns of Ohio to book tours with Muhammad Ali, Toni Morrison leads her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature in this artful and intimate meditation.
Black Art: In the Absence of Light
The 2021 documentary, Black Art: In the Absence of Light simultaneously explores the challenges Black Artists continue to face in reaching mainstream audiences and the importance of their artwork in the narrative of United States art history. It serves as a powerful introduction for mainstream audiences to a small cross section of the countless brilliant Black visual artists working today as well as the genius that preceded them.
Hailed by the New York Times as a film that “reveals the history of neglect and triumph”, Black Art will leave you with a long list of artists whose work you'll want to see more of.
Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
To get a sense of recently uncovered Black cultural and musical history, we recommend you check out “Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”. Unearthing long-forgotten footage of the Harlem Cultural Festival, which celebrated Black history, culture, music, and fashion, "Summer of Soul" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
High On the Hog
No collection would be complete without highlighting Black culinary contributions, which is brought to life in the Netflix documentary “High on the Hog.” The New York Times called “High on the Hog” “an incredible reframing of history that reintroduces the United States to viewers through the lens of Black people’s food — which is to say, American food.”
The series, developed by an all-Black creative team, steps outside the traditional approach to “soul food,” refusing to see it as a regional phenomenon, but a foundational influence on culture and cuisine in the United States.
LOCAL BLACK HISTORY: Displaced
Displaced, one of the first films we made seven years ago, is a short documentary based on an interview with former Vanport and Portland OR resident Marghree Moss and her daughter Gwen. Together, they put a face and life experience to Portland's decades long story of gentrification and displacement of Black residents.
This film is now dedicated in loving memory of Marghree Moss (1932-2022) - may she rest in peace.
MORE BLACK STORIES
Uncle Nearest
Take a listen to the story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes, that Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey, and the woman who is carrying on his legacy.
Norma Sklareck
One of the first licensed African American female architects and celebrated for her numerous pioneering achievements... Read the article and listen to the podcast here!
Gordon Parks
One of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, Gordon Parks was a humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice. He left behind an exceptional body of work that documents American life and culture from the early 1940s into the 2000s, with a focus on race relations, poverty, civil rights, and urban life.
Bessie Coleman
”The air is only the place free from prejudice.”
Bessie Coleman soared across the sky as the first woman of African American and Native American descent to earn her pilot’s license in the U.S. Known for performing flying tricks, Coleman’s nicknames were: “Brave Bessie,” “Queen Bess,” and “The Only Race Aviatrix in the World.”