CATHY JUN Reggie Waddell plays the
saxophone at the Open Mike Jazz Cafe, which served as the
introduction to "A Celebration of Blackness" festival by the
AAP.
By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
A documentarian explores the murder of Malcolm X, an old woman
rescues her grandson from life on a plantation and a modern-day
African American woman journeys back in time to experience slavery
first hand.
These are a few of the subjects in the Academic Advancement
Program’s new film series “A Celebration of
Blackness.” The series is planned to celebrate Black History
Month.
“We wanted to do something that would raise
students’ consciousness, addressing the social and political
realities of the African American experience,” said Masai
Minters, director of counselors for AAP. “At the same time,
we wanted to do something entertaining.”
AAP will show movies relating to black history and heritage
twice a week throughout February.
“We wanted to do one film everyday,” Minters said.
“We have enough material; the only problem was that there
just wasn’t enough space available in Campbell Hall to do
that.”
Minters envisioned the film series as a way to bring black
history closer to UCLA students. Originally, Minters collected
enough movies to hold screenings twice a night, and found narrowing
down the choices to be the hardest part about organizing “A
Celebration of Blackness.”
“It was difficult making selections for which movies to
show,” Minters said. “I talked with my students, got
suggestions, tried to find out what movies people would like to
see. We have a good mix now, some documentaries, some
dramas.”
Although AAP did not commemorate Black History Month last year,
two years ago it held a public fish-fry barbeque on the Campbell
Hall steps. “A Celebration of Blackness” began with an
open-microphone jazz cafe event last Thursday, giving students the
opportunity to sing their jazz music, almost karaoke-style, on
stage.
“We’ve never done anything like this,” Minters
said. “In previous years, we had perhaps a one-day event, but
this is the first time we’ve done a month-long
activity.”
The jazz cafe served as an introduction to the festivities,
which included a wide range of unique films.
“We’ve got contemporary movies, lots of stuff from
the hip-hop area,” said Angela Robles, an AAP/PLUS Program
counselor. “They range from contemporary to educational. For
example, we’re showing “˜Ethnic Notions,’ a
documentary that looks at the origins of stereotypes about African
Americans.
“We want students to get some historical knowledge,”
Robles continued. “We definitely want them to leave knowing
something about African American history that they didn’t
know coming in. I went to UCLA and graduated with a degree in
African American studies, so I saw approximately 90 percent of
these films in class.”
Already familiar with the movies, Robles highly recommended
“Four Little Girls.”
“It’s all about the Birmingham murders back in the
’60s, and it’s a very strong depiction of what
happened,” Robles said. “Students will want to know
about this.”
“Four Little Girls” is Spike Lee’s look at the
1963 bombing of an African American Baptist church that took the
lives of four young girls in Birmingham, Ala. The film takes a hard
look at the tragedy and the effect it had on the direction of the
civil rights movement.
“Black Skin, White Mask” tells the story of Dr.
Franz Fanon, a deeply influential African American psychiatrist,
and his involvement in the anti-colonial struggle in Algeria and
throughout the world. “Lumumba: La Mort Du Prophete”
(Death of a Prophet) is a documentary about Patrice Lumumba,the
African political leader and prime minister of the Congo
Republic.
To further demonstrate the diversity of the program, Minters
pointed to “Sankofa.”
“It’s almost a science fiction story,” Minters
said. “It’s the story of a modern-day African American
woman who is transported back to the time of slavery.”
Other films include “Brother Minister: The Assassination
of Malcolm X,” an investigation of the mysterious murder of
Malcolm X with interviews with assassination experts as well as
some of Malcolm X’s friends and former enemies. The movie
provides a rare glimpse at seldom seen archival footage and a
disclosure of FBI and NYPD counterintelligence documents relating
to the case.
“Why Los Angeles Burned,” examines the 1992 Los
Angeles riots and, according to Robles, brings a historical
perspective that not many students have had before.
Euzhan Palcy’s “Sugar Cane Alley” tells the
story of Jose, an 11-year-old orphan, and his grandmother who is
resolved to keep Jose from a life of toil on the plantations of
Martinique.
“This film series is for everybody, not just African
Americans,” Robles said. “The series will definitely
promote a higher consciousness among students.”
FILM: For more information about “A
Celebration of Blackness,” contact the Academic Advancement
Program at (310) 825-1481.