{"id":17164,"date":"2021-02-25T07:02:20","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T15:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=17164"},"modified":"2021-03-11T02:08:07","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T10:08:07","slug":"uplifting-movies-black-experience-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/uplifting-movies-black-experience-joy\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Movies About The Black Experience That Make Room For Joy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hollywood has long loved heartwrenching dramas centered on slavery or the Civil Rights struggle when it comes to movies that portray the Black experience. In recent years, however, there has been increased scrutiny on Hollywood’s tendency to focus on the trauma of Black history and not Black joy, with a number of critics (and audiences) arguing that more attention needs to be paid to the fullness of the Black experience and not just the struggle. It’s a sentiment that has been echoed by professional Black critics, like this piece<\/a> in The<\/em> Independent<\/em> from Shakeena Johnson, to aspiring student journalists, like this piece<\/a> in Indiana University’s student newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student<\/em>, by staff writer Jaicey Bledsoe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it’s important to not minimize or look away from the horrors of history or to downplay the systemic racism that still permeates our social fabric today, it’s equally as important that entertainment reflects the more uplifting moments and all the spectrum in between, to truly capture Black lives lived in fullness. If you’re curious to watch a movie that makes room for Black joy, here are a few great ones to get you started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Black Panther (2018)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Though set in a fictional location populated by fictional characters, Black Panther<\/em> is nonetheless one of the best examples of a joyful Black experience in movies, if not the<\/em> best. From its predominantly Black cast standing behind the MCU’s first Black superhero to headline his own movie, Black Panther<\/em> was a trip across the African diaspora, envisioning a world in which Black excellence might have thrived had white colonizers not disrupted their nations’ natural evolution. From the accents to the exquisitely detailed costumes designed by Black costume designer Ruth E. Carter to seeing a young Black man presented as a warrior and king, the movie is a love letter to Africa and the roots of so much of the culture. Black audiences’ excitement over its release only served to drive home what a joyful experience Black Panther<\/em> was, with audiences turning up in droves on opening night dressed in full African ancestral garb or cosplay, with the “Wakanda Forever” cross-armed salute becoming a calling card and greeting for Black fans everywhere who finally felt recognized by a superhero movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Wiz (1978)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It’s true Michael Jackson was in The Wiz<\/em> and Michael Jackson is a complicated topic. But setting him aside, the Black take on The Wizard of Oz<\/em> is a life-affirming musical. Songstress Diana Ross plays Dorothy, an uptight and reserved young woman living with her aunt and uncle in Harlem. When she gets pulled into the magical realm of Oz, she meets a whole host of quirky and colorful characters who slowly teach her to lighten up and to have fun. By the end of the movie musical, Dorothy is literally jumping for joy as she sings her heart out. Women, in particular Black women, are often taught to worry about how the world views us and to focus on being responsible, so seeing Dorothy cut loose and shake off the shackles of those emotional constraints is a cathartic viewing experience, indeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. House Party (1990)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The hairstyles and clothes might be dated, but the pure fun of the House Party<\/em> movies, never. Famed director and producer Reginald Hudlin’s first feature film featured hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play in a story about a house party that turns into the wildest night of their lives when the school bullies show up. The soundtrack is infectious, featuring old-school hip-hop, much of it from Kid ‘n Play themselves, that keeps the party bumping, and it has some of the most memorable dance sequences in movies. The dance-off is still recreated to this day. Yeah, the moves are a little corny now, but just watch this and tell me you don’t bop your head and smile:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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