"Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change." Muhammad Ali
Who Are We? What are we doing? Where do we go from here?
The Black Power Mix Tape Documentary takes a rather serious and widely successful effort to unveil the very real conditions of black folks in America through the eyes of a handful of powerful leaders. Swedish filmmaker Goran Hugo Olsson’s basement-stored footage does a remarkable job of taking the temperature of blacks in a tension-filled, highly-divided America from 1967-1975. Intended or unintended, Olsson’s non-American roots glare with the film’s (missed) opportunity to link the black power movement in the latter 20th Century to today’s very similar climate – thus leaving on-lookers with a more magnified mirror to scrutinize.
Black power can be clearly defined for those who do not attach the fears of white America to their questions about it. S. Carmichael
One of the documentaries’ frequently memorable moments was certainly captured with the unfiltered flashes of the brave and spirited Trinidadian-born Black Panther leader, Stokely Carmichael. Carmichael’s unyielding, uncompromising, unapologetic speeches truly underscored the leader’s relentless "audacity of hope" – a remarkable irony occupiers of Wall Street will find impossible to ignore. Carmichael’s impromptu interview with his mom divulges an inflexible, pit-bull aura that Caribbean men like: Harry Belafonte, Louis Farrakhan, and Marcus Garvey (among others) have been known to frighten white America with.Another [perhaps] unintended reward of the Black Power Mix Tape is the neutrality of another Swedish journalist who approached Angela Davis with a concern about the alleged violence that was associated with some of the movement‘s leaders. Davis’ reply is nothing short of riveting.
Much to my delight the film more than captures the foundation that real Hip Hop is rooted.
Talib Kweli does a magnificent job of unveiling his influences birthed from the black power movement. Ditto for Erykah Badu, whose entire presence can be traced to Angela Davis’ plight in America. Once the credits roll, you may have a series of unanswered questions. However, one thing is certain, if this black power movement continues to fade at this alarming rate, look no further than where you were and what you were doing when it happened.
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