Vineyard Haven Public Library: Black History Month Film Selections On Kanopy

Press release from the Vineyard Haven Public Library:

February 1, 2022

In honor of Black History Month, our streaming video provider Kanopy has curated a collection of films that offer various perspectives on the Black experience in America. These films, both narrative and documentary, highlight the history and culture of the Black community while noting the trials and tribulations endured during periods of racial injustice. By telling the stories of leaders and those working behind the scenes to improve civil rights, as well as displaying facets of Black identity, these cinematic works provide valuable commentary of race relations across several generations.To browse the complete collection, visit: https://vhlibrary.kanopy.com/category/40898Black BoysThis documentary explores the body, mind, voice, and heart of Black boys and thedouble-edged sword of having to build up their own self worth while knowing the worldis not built for them. As various Black men and boys open themselves up to the camera,the emotional landscape of racism and its effects on them are revealed.vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/black-boysBrother Outsider: The Life of Freedom Fighter Bayard RustinOn November 20, 2013, Bayard Rustin was posthumously awarded the prestigiousPresidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Who was this man? Hewas an important part of the Civil Rights Movement — but always in the background.Brother Outsider asks "Why?" It presents a vivid drama, intermingling the personal andthe political, about one of the most enigmatic figures in 20th-century American history.vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/brother-outsiderDaughters of the DustAt the dawn of the 20th century, a multi-generational family in the Gullah community onthe Sea Islands off of South Carolina — former West African slaves who adopted many oftheir ancestors' Yoruba traditions — struggles to maintain their cultural heritage andfolklore while contemplating a migration to the mainland, even further from their roots.vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/daughters-dustThe French WayThis farcical romantic-comedy set in WWII France is about young lovers forbidden tomarry by their respective families. Josephine Baker plays Zazu, the owner of a nightclub,who inherits the job of restoring harmony between the two families and allowing theyoung lovers to "se marier."vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/french-wayFresh Dressed - The Evolution of Rap FashionA fascinating chronicle of hip-hop, urban fashion, and the hustle that brought oversizedpants and graffiti-drenched jackets from Orchard Street to high fashion's catwalks andMiddle America shopping malls. Director Sacha Jenkins's music-drenched history drawsfrom a rich mix of archival materials and in-depth interviews with rappers, designers, andother industry insiders.vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/fresh-dressedJayhawkersDirected by Oscar-winner Kevin Willmott, Jayhawkers tells the powerful fable of how asmall group of unlikely allies modernized college sports and changed a small Midwesterntown, serving as a parallel to the Civil Rights movement that would transform an entireAmerican society.vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/jayhawkersSounderSet in rural Louisiana during the Depression, this heartfelt story tells of a sharecropperfamily struggling to overcome adversity. After stealing to feed his family, Nathan is sentto a prison camp. In their fight for survival, his determined wife and their eldest son holdthe family together. Once the boy becomes an adult, he searches for his father butinstead discovers manhood.vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/sounderUnforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack JohnsonJack Johnson—the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, whosedominance over his white opponents spurred furious debates and race riots in the early20th century—enters the ring once again in Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall ofJack Johnson a provocative PBS documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns.vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/unforgiveable-blacknessTo browse the complete collection, visit: https://vhlibrary.kanopy.com/category/40898

This press release was produced by the Vineyard Haven Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.