Black Film

An illustrated history that celebrates Black actors, films, and filmmakers from the silent era through today and explores the deeply embedded racism of the film industry, from awardwinning author of The Black Panther Party

In Black Film, Eisner Award-winning author David F. Walker presents an immersive dive into the crucial history of Black actors, films, and filmmakers, dating all the way back to the very first moving picture captured by Edweard Muybridge in 1872. Following closely behind, Thomas Edison's thirty-second "actualities" from 1895, including A Watermelon Contest and Dancing Darkey Boy, are among the first short films to depict Black people and can be considered the earliest examples of how the film industry would go on to heavily exploit and appropriate Black people for the duration of its development.

Divided by decade, each section of the book covers an important era and milestone for Black film. For example:
The harmful popularization of blackface and minstrel shows (1890-1914)The emergence of problematic feature-length movies such as Birth of a Nation after the advancement of sound in film as well as the impact of the Harlem Renaissance and live theater on the industry (1915-1928)The rise of trailblazing actors such as Sidney Poitier and Hattie McDaniel (1950-1959)The roots of Blaxploitation as a subgenre and how Black people ultimately saved Hollywood (1970-1079)The exciting crossover of hip-hop music into film (1980-1989)The success of Marvel's The Black Panther and ongoing discourse around #OscarsSoWhite today, and more.
With gorgeous accompanying illustrations, Black Film celebrates Black actors and filmmakers and their contributions throughout the industry's history, without shying away from discussing the racism that is deeply embedded in Hollywood—an important reality to address in order to make progress.