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THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975 – The Review – We Are Movie Geeks

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THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975 – The Review

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THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975 is a remarkable documentary that offers a glimpseonto the Black Power Movement in the United States. Shot by Swedish television journalists, the film is composed of audio and video clips from 1967-1975, and offers voice over from Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli, Ahmir-Khalib Thompson (Questlove), and more.

The film starts by focusing on Stokely Carmichael, who popularized the phrase “Black Power”. Carmichael was a very powerful activist who spoke out against Martin Luther King Jr’s nonviolent philosophy. Through various clips, we hear his reasoning behind his more militant stance. A revolution needed to happen.

Another powerful subject from the film, Angela Davis, is followed during her 1970 trial, where she was accused of being involved in the murder of a judge. The clips and audio follow her from the time she fled California through the end of her trial, which ended in 1972 with a verdict of not guilty. The film proposes that she was thought of as a threat, due to her ties with the Black Panther Party, as well as the Communist Party. Later, she took to promoting socialism, stating that only in a socialist society could african-american’s achieve racial equality.

With the Black Panther Party forming in 1966, there is quite a bit of footage involving members of their party. They were a very militant group that encouraged it’s members to arm themselves for protection, and to fight back against racial inequality. Most of the parties leaders were imprisoned or forced to flee the country, as a way to weaken or break apart the group. The film also shows their involvement in the community, such as making sure that all children had access to breakfast.

The film itself is a collection of clips… a mixtape, if you will. (See, it’s not just a clever name!) The film does not promise to be an exact history lesson. Instead, it lets the viewer know upfront that it is a compilation of footage, and is just one look at that time period, through the eyes of the Swedish television journalists in the states filming at the time. They do a nice job of showing multiple sides of their subjects, rather than just a singular view. For example, not only do they show Stokely Carmichael speaking out to the masses, but they include a clip of him interviewing his mother. In this clip, he is soft, and concerned. He talks with her about the lack of rights as she raised her family, and it’s easy to see that the poverty, as well as his fathers inability to find steady employment during that time because of the color of his skin, were emotional topics for the two of them. Adding to the depth of the film, several musicians and poets from today have added commentary to some of the film, as well as Angela Davis. This movement is a part of their history. It’s fascinating to hear the stories of how this affected people like Ahmir-Khalib Thompson (Questlove) and Erykah Badu as they grew up.

The film is not trying to give a chronological timeline of what happened. There are some parts that contradict themselves, and there are gaps as they tell about the movement, but it is not a big distraction. The main focus of this film is to give the viewer a glimpse of what happened, and more importantly, a glimpse of the emotion. My only complaint is that instead of showing us the decline, or deradicalization of the movement, they left it open. I cannot tell if their intent was to just show what they had, or if it was intended as a way to show that the movement is still alive today. It would have been nice to spend even an extra ten minutes on the decline of the movement, because the film just kind of stops. Still, the impact as a viewer is undeniable. This film was beautifully done. Whether you are educated on the movement, or not, this film is an enjoyable, and emotional glimpse of an important time in history.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Nerdy, snarky horror lover with a campy undertone. Goonies never say die.