Month: November 2011

Danny Glover And Göran Olsson Talk ‘The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975’

In this video “Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” Director Göran Olsson and Producer Danny Glover sit down and talk about the film and why the ideas that were brought to light by the Black Power Movement are still relevant today.

They begin with a discussion of how the film came about – through a discovery of high quality footage of prominent Black Power leaders in Swedish archives and then discussions with prominent individuals like Danny Glover who were exposed to the Black Power, its leaders, and ideas during their youths.

Glover explains that the importance of this documentary is not only showing more footage of the Black Power Movement – it is changing and challenging the accepted narrative of the movement. He describes that this footage gives viewers a glimpse into these people’s minds in a much more humanized way than the history books teach. The film educates, enlightens, and will hopefully spark conversation about that period in time and the Black Power movement.

Glover also points out that the ultimate goal of the Black Power Movement was “a re-imagining” of democracy; this is a goal that did not start with the Black Power Movement, or the Civil Rights Movement, and it has not ended. Glover states that there are always issues in this country that need to be challenged – unemployment, and women’s rights, through to senior citizens rights. He believes that this documentary provides its watchers with an opportunity to take what they can learn from the Black Power Movement and apply it to their own lives.

The video ends with a conversation about the power of film.

 

Harry Belafonte Reflects On Life As A Singer, Actor, And Activist

Harry Belafonte is not only a musical icon, but also a lifelong political and social activist. Gwen Ifill talks with Belafonte about his life as a singer, actor and civil rights activist and describes that to him, they are not separate career paths. Belafonte explains that “What attracted me to the arts was that I saw theater as a social force, a political force.”