This Black Filmmaker Refused To Let White Hollywood Control His Stories

gunsaulus mystery 1921 film poster
Tremain Prioleau II
January 28, 2023

Oscar Micheaux was tired. After holding several unfulfilling jobs and wanting to live the good life, he decided to chronicle his life experiences in novels. These would eventually become the foundation for his films.

Micheaux birthed an entirely new genre of films called “race films” in the early 1900s. These films starred Black actors and were intended for a Black audience. At the time, the film industry was far from accepting of Black films so Micheaux had to get creative about getting his stories in front of the masses. Charismatic and driven, Micheaux used his connections from previous jobs to fund and produce his films.

Micheaux’s films tackled issues of interracial romance, colorism, and white prejudice during a time when Hollywood focused narrowly on stereotyping Blacks as docile and childlike. He created complex characters that more accurately depicted the realities of Black life.

Even with the films ready to be shown, Micheaux decided to do the ultimate. And that move cemented his place in history. He showed a film in an all-white theater.

Micheaux’s work marks the beginning of Black people’s visibility on the big screen and a new lens to view race relations in America. We should constantly remind ourselves of our rich cultural achievements and remember that we are a people who have and will continue to achieve no matter what challenges come our way.

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