February is Black History Month. This month, we at the UW Tacoma Library are highlighting films that acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the lasting legacies of Black creators and activists. We not only want to shed light on history, but also look toward the future so we will be exploring different themes in Black and African American film throughout the month. We acknowledge that we should not only look at these resources now, but throughout our personal, educational and professional lives. We hope that these lists may serve as inspiration or a place to start.
This week we are bringing you recommendations for a range of films that examine and celebrate the intersections of different identities. The focus of this collection explores the both fictional and non-fictional experiences of Black women, Black LGTBQ folks, and the Black working class. Check these films out on our blog and delve into the library collection where even more films can be found, available to view for free by our library community.
Moonlight (2016)
A chronicle of the childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood of a young, African-American, gay man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.
Available for streaming via the UW Libraries.
Willa Beatrice Brown an American Aviator (2009)
Willa Beatrice Brown, the first African – American woman in the U.S. to be a licensed pilot, earned her license in 1937. This documentary tells her story and that of African-American aviation before World War II, highlighting the contributions of the many extraordinary individuals who shaped civil rights history.
Available for streaming via the UW Libraries.
Struggles in Steel: A Story of African-American Steelworkers (1996)
This video documents for the first time the history of discrimination against black workers and their heroic struggle for equality on the job. It provides badly needed historical background to current angry debates on race and affirmative action. The film is the result of a unique collaboration between black steelworker Ray Henderson and his old high school buddy, noted independent filmmaker, Tony Buba. Together they interviewed more than 70 retired black steelworkers who tell heart-rending tales of struggles with the company, the union and white co-workers to break out of the black “job ghetto” of the most dangerous, dirty and low paid jobs.
Available for streaming via the UW Libraries.
Kiki (2016)
A captivating look into the daily lives of a group of LGBTQ youth who comprise the “Kiki” scene as they prepare for and perform at fierce and exuberant ballroom competitions in NYC.
Available for streaming via the UW Libraries.
The Watermelon Woman (1997)
Cheryl, a young black woman in a video store, is making a documentary about an obscure black actress from the 1930’s. When she discovers that the actress (known as “the Watermelon Woman”) had a white lesbian lover, Cheryl just happens to fall in love with a very cute woman herself!