For your third paper, please write about how you see African-American culture depicted, talked about, and/or discussed in a documentary from an approved list. (See document with list of approved documentaries)
While there are movies that depict African-American culture in a fictionalized way (movies like Friday, Boyz N the Hood, Barbershop, Selma, When They See Us), I want you to focus on something that gives a more realistic depictions of the culture. This is why you are not watching movies of that type.
Some of the questions I want you to think about answering or discussing in your essay:
• Does the documentary show a great accomplishment or movement in the African-American community? What is it? How does it come about? Who or what starts it, and why? How does it change or help African-Americans and the culture as a whole?
• Does the documentary show a great struggle against some outer force (like racism) or some inner force within (like violence) the African-American community? How does it hurt the community? How does it shape the culture? How is it being handled by African-Americans? Are there people or things to stop or combat these forces against African-Americans?
• Reflect on the information provided in the documentary. Did you learn anything new, or did anything change the way you thought about a topic within the African-American community/culture? What was it? Did anything spark your interest to learn more about it or get more invested or involved?
• Did you find a connection to what you saw or heard? Did it remind you of anything you have personally gone through or accomplished? Have you endured any of the struggles? Has America changed, moved forward, or remained the same since the documentary came out?
The movie for this essay is “Who Killed Malcolm X?” on Netflix
