Conference
Documenting the Black Experience
Authors
- Novotny Lawrence (Iowa State University)
- Talon Delaney (Iowa State University)
- Jess Trad (Iowa State University)
- Ryan Everett (Iowa State University)
Abstract
This panel examines how documentary filmmakers have seized the means of production to chronicle Black experiences and fill significant gaps that exist in the U.S.’s dominant historical narratives. The panelists will present research on non-narrative films focusing on Fred Hampton, the Harlem Cultural Festival, and representations of Black women in horror cinema. In doing so, they shed critical light on Black people and events, and the documentarians who use the medium to highlight oft-overlooked aspects of Black life, culture, and identity.