Hollywood has profited from anti-Blackness in the most disgusting ways for centuries, and these four racist AF films prove it. They capitalize off harmful tropes and stereotypes about our people and shouldn’t be on anyone’s watchlist.
#1: The Birth of a Nation
Birth of a Nation is one of the most lethal forms of hate speech propaganda. It dangerously plays on tropes by using a white man in blackface attempting to rape a white woman. Racists showed up in droves to the theater and TO THE WHITE HOUSE, where President Woodrow Wilson held a screening.
#2: Soul Man
In 1986, this terrible film featured a white man who wore blackface. Soul Man fueled reckless ideas about affirmative action and naivete about anti-Blackness itself. The main character “becomes” Black by overdosing on tanning pills, and only then does he realize systemic racism is real.
#3: Gone With The Wind
Gone With The Wind was a blockbuster that painted the South as a beautiful, peaceful place during a time when it was anything but that. Our people were held captive but were painted as childlike and docile. Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar-winning role reinforced the Black women “mammy” stereotype.
#4: Song Of The South
Disney tried it with this one. 1941’s Song Of The South glorifies plantation life and glosses over blatant anti-Blackness to “ease racial tensions,” which is just coddling white's fragility.
Hollywood has always capitalized on anti-Blackness. No matter what they do, we must keep writing our stories and supporting Black filmmakers and artists who authentically portray our people.