Roots of Black Film & TV

‘When Black Bodies are on the stage, Black perspectives must be reflected. This is not simply a matter of ‘artistic interpretation’; race and sex play a pivotal role in determining who holds the power to shape representation.” Tonya Pinkins

When Black history is being discussed, it is common that the exploitation of Black people is front and center. This is without mentioning the unique contributions that paved the way for how American society operates today. When it comes to the Arts, Black people have always been present and flourished no matter the circumstances. In 2017 a student at the University of Chicago discovered a silent film of a Black couple from 1898. The Something Good-Negro Kiss silent film takes place almost ten years before Birth of a Nation, which is commonly known as the first film to cast Black people. What a pleasant surprise: the first film that Black people were in was about love and not being enslaved or hated.

Without a doubt, I am sure there are more silent films with Black people that have been lost or stolen due to discrimination. There were many African American filmmakers from mid 1800s to early 1900s who yearned for Black representation. Oscar Micheaux is one of the many Black people whose work preserved through this time which has made him known to be the first Black film producer. Micheaux was a novelist but his first feature film that was fully produced was in 1919 titled, Homestead. Madame Sul-Te- Wan is another first, she is known as the first Black person to get paid for her role in Birth of a Nation. She was extremely mistreated yet went on to have many roles, her admiration for acting kept her head high.

Nevertheless, Black Americans have always managed to push through and demand away. Bert Williams is a Black entertainer of the Vaudeville era who is mainly known for being the first Black man to have a leading role ever in Darktown Jubilee of 1914. Williams had a long career from 1901 to 1922 as an actor, comedian, and was in a duo act with George Walker from. Although Bert Williams was labeled as one of the greatest comedians in the world, he still struggled with maintaining his image. During the early days of his career, the Black community questioned his intentions because they viewed his performances as stereotypical. Due to being harshly judged he found a way to do what he loved in a less degrading way.

Hattie McDaniel is well known because she was the first Black person to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gone with the Wind. Hattie McDaniel was a sensation but still experienced the same backlash Bert Williams did for playing the stereotypical roles. Some analyzed her win of an Oscar as an accolade that confirmed Black people can only be successful in Hollywood if they conform to Black stereotypes. She also had part in the first Black sitcom, The Beulah Show, where she was the lead for a while. The series ran concurrently for three seasons, from 1950 – 1953.

Like most Black entertainers, Ethel Waters began singing and dancing Jazz, then slowly made her way into the film industry. However, before she became a film actress, she was Broadway's highest-paid performer in the 1930s. By 1939 Waters was the first Black person to star and own her TV Show, The Ethel Waters Show. Ethel Waters was also the first ‘Beulah’ on the Beulah show in 1950. She quit the show because she had a hard time with how her character was being treated within the show. Waters was also nominated for an Academy Award in 1949 for her role in Pinky.

Nat King Cole was a musician but, he was the first Black person to host a variety television series and helped start the integration of Black and White people on television together. However, due to racism, the show ended after a year. After his show, he still guest-starred on other shows and even began his acting career.

In the Imitation of Life (1934), we have actresses; Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington. This film is said to be the first film that gave Black characters heavy emotions that outweighed the film. Both Beavers and Washington had great acting careers, which bloomed from the Imitation of Life. No matter what people had to say about the roles Louise Beavers played, she loved to remind them that she was, "only playing the parts". Fredi Washington had a different experience because she was fair-skinned but had no problem reminding everyone she was Black. Even though her role in Imitation of Life she was a fair-skinned woman who struggled with her identity, she was nothing like that in real life. She was heavily involved in civil rights and helped Black people get into the film business.

The point is Black people have always fought for representation. Although the roles were not ideal during the 1800s and 1900s, the Black entertainers of this time paved the way for Viola Davis, Halle Berry, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Zendaya and well, everybody Black. Our Black ancestors saw the importance of Black people being represented on film screens from the beginning. They understood the power that media has in storytelling and wanted to inform the world of their perspective. Yes, there is still more to discover about Black film and TV. Yes, we are still breaking barriers today in 2022. I am just glad we never stopped.

As told by Sonora.