African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
1 videodisc (50 min.), An untold history of the indigenous Caribs on St. Vincent: their near extermination and exile by the British 200 years ago; and return of some in the Diaspora to reconnect with those left behind. A postcolonial story of re-identification. The Black Caribs, on the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean, is a little known indigenous group of people. Yurumein (Homeland) is a 50-minute documentary that recounts the painful past of these Carib people – their near extermination at the hands of the British, the decimation of their culture on the island, and the exile of survivors to Central America over 200 years ago. The film also captures the powerful moment of homecoming when Caribs from the Diaspora (also known as “Garifuna” in their indigenous language) visit the island for the first time.
A critical analysis of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s PBS documentary film series Black in Latin America. The author discusses Gates' exploration of the history of early race mixture, the contemporary valorization of Blackness, and racial inequality in Brazil.
A critical analysis of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s PBS documentary film series Black in Latin America. The author discusses the conceptualization of blackness in the Dominican Republic.
A critical analysis of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s PBS documentary film series Black in Latin America. Explores how racial polemics are explicitly entangled with the politics of Revolution in Cuba. Adapted from the source document.
A critical analysis of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s PBS documentary film series Black in Latin America. The authors examine Gates' presentation of blackness in Mexico and Peru. Their critique of the film focuses on the themes of national ideology, racial categorization, and portrayals of the 'black' experience.
It's against this backdrop that filmmaker Roger Boisrond will screen SAK PASE? In the heart of the Haitian community, me grande premiere of his latest unedited documentary on the Haitian community. A Centre Mandela-King Production, the film will give viewers a better understanding of the Haitian presence in Quebec society, and the longtime solidarity that exists between Quebec and Haiti. A discussion will follow the screening.
There are 38.9 million blacks in the United States. According to the 2000 census there are 75.9 million citizens of Brazil who would be classified as African American in the U.S. Since there are only 91.3 million Brazilian whites, who dominate the country, one wonders why so many blacks are living in poverty in favelas (slums).
This spring, Professor [Henry Louis Gates Jr.] returns to PBS with "Black in Latin America," a new four-part, four hour series. Focusing on six Latin American countries - Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and Peru - the series explores the influence of the African diaspora on Latin America. On his journey. Gates discovers a shared legacy of colonialism, slavery and people marked by African roots. In his new series. Gates sets out on a quest to discover how Latin Americans of African descent live now, and how their countries acknowledge - or deny - their African past.
President Obama eventually intervened to defuse the tension by inviting both the professor and the arresting officer to the White House for a glass of beer by Rose Garden. Prior to the media circus surrounding that "Beer Summit," Dr. Gates was already well known as a tenured Professor at Harvard University, as well as director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research.
Despite their great numbers, the cultural and social worlds that they created remain largely unknown to most Americans, except for certain popular, cross-over musical forms. [Henry Louis Gates, Jr.] sets out on a quest to discover how Latin Americans of African descent live now, and how the countries acknowledge-or deny-their African past; how the fact of race and African ancestry play themselves out in the multicultural worlds of the Caribbean and Latin America. Starting with the slave experience and extending to the present, Professor Gates unveils the history of the African presence in the countries through art, music, cuisine, dance, politics and religion, but also through the presence of anti-black racism that has sometimes sought to keep the black cultural presence from view.
KW: Dr. Karanja Ajanaku, (executive editor of the Memphis Tri-State Defender, says: "You seem to be making the point that in the U.S., we are mostly unaware, substantively, of "blacks" in Latin America. Would you speak to how aware or unaware, substantively, "blacks" in Latin America are of African Americans? HLG: No, I didn't see any sign of that, because most of those folks' first identity is a national one, as a Brazilian or a Cuban, not as a black person. For instance, in the Dominican Republic episode, Juan Rodriguez says he never even thought of himself as black until he visited New York. One of the points of the series is that identity is a very complex and ever-shifting matter. We might think that these people are obviously black, but they might not identify themselves that way.
Gates notes the striking difference between the numerous statues of European colonists, and even the whitening of the image of Dominicans who have any African heritage in the Dominican Republic, and the statues of Black Haitian independence leaders throughout Haiti.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
1 videodisc (205 min.), A documentary on the life and career of Jamaica's fourth Prime Minister Michael Manley. Over 3 hours of historical footage and interviews. Its cast is a "who's who" list of persons who were closest to Manley during his lifetime, from members of his cabinet to members of his family.
Black In Latin America, premiering nationally Tuesdays April 19, 26 and May 3, 10, 2011, at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings), examines how Africa and Europe came together to create the rich cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean. Latin America is often associated with music, monuments and sun, but each of the six countries featured in Black in Latin America including Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico and Peru, has a secret history. On his journey, Professor Gates discovers, behind a shared legacy of colonialism and slavery, vivid stories and people marked by African roots.
Rise Up channels the spirit of the elders with cameos by Fred Locks, Sly Dunbar. Robbie Shakespeare, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Toots Hibberts and Brushy One String among others. Industry stalwarts like producers Mikey Bennett and Carlo Less are among those narrating the story which highlights the unique musical quality of Jamaicans.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
videorecording; 1 videodisc (75 min.), Provides a portrait of rural communities in Brazil that were either founded by runaway slaves or began from abandoned plantations. This type of community is known as a quilombo, from an Angolan word that means "encampment." As many as 2,000 quilombos exist today.
Human Rights in Haiti: A Work in Progress" is a 22-minute abridged Cliffs Notes version of the history of Haitian unrest. Though it is beautifully edited and has some rather moving imagery, the film ends suddenly, which quite frankly took the audience off guard. During the Q&A session following the films, the un-packed audience of 10 people (which included the filmmakers) had a few burning questions, some of which were not completely answered. "Who's the opponent? Who's the evil person here?" "It doesn't make that clear," "There are things that aren't really clear here" were just a few questions the audience members asked.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
Originally issued as a motion picture in 2001., 1 videodisc (60 min.), Filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris travels to Africa and Brazil in search of his spiritual ancestors.
Leland,Andrea E. (Director) and Berger,Kathy L. (Director)
Format:
Video/DVD
Publication Date:
1998
Published:
Hohokus, NJ: New Day Films
Location:
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
1 videocassette (46 min., 30 sec.) + 1 study guide (49 p.), Genocide, exile, Diaspora and persecution did not break the spirit of the Garifuna people. Descendants of African and Carib-Indian ancestors, the Garifuna fought to maintain their homeland on the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. The Garifuna resisted slavery. For this love of freedom, they were exiled from St. Vincent to Roatan in Honduras by the British in 1797. Despite exile and subsequent Diaspora, their traditional culture survives today. It is a little known story that deserves its place in the annals of the African Diaspora. In first person Garifuna voices, this documentary presents the history, the language, food, music, dance and spirituality of the Garifuna culture. It is a celebratory documentary, with engaging scenes of fishing, cooking, dancing, cassava preparation, thatching a temple, spiritual ritual, ritual music and dance all demonstrating the Garifuna link to the Carib-African past.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
Originally produced as documentary film in 1990., 1 videocassette (50 min.), Based on a collection of poems by Guyanese British writer, Grace Nichols, this program chronicles the history of slavery through the eyes of Caribbean women. Presented through a combination of monologue, dance and song.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
1 videocassette (ca. 20 min.), Employing footage shot between December 5 and 9, 2003, this documentary looks at the history, life, traditions, and celebrations of the black population of the municipalities of Baião and Mocajuba, located in the Brazilian state of Pará.
