Films with: West, Cornel

Blacks & Jews

Early in the 20th century black and Jewish Americans joined forces against bigotry and for civil rights but in the late 1960's each group turned inward and the coalition fell apart. This film examines the history of this collaboration and recent racial conflicts between Afro-Americans and Jews and attempts at understanding and reconciliation, with particular emphasis on events in New York City and Oakland, California.

DVD 5802

Celebration fit for a King

A speech by noted author and civil rights activist Cornel West celebrating the legacy and influence of Martin Luther King, Jr.

DVD 8102

Darker side of black

Gangsta chic, violence and nihilism, the hard edge of rap and reggae increasingly dominates the image of black popular culture. This film investigates the issues raised by the genre, such as ritualized machismo, misogyny, attitudes towards homosexuality and religion, and gun glorification. Filmed in dance halls, hip hop clubs, and using interviews and music video clips, film takes us to London, Jamaica and the U.S. to examine the "darker" side of contemporary black music.

DVD 8913

Examined life philosophy is in the street /

Examined Life takes philosophy into the hustle and bustle of the everyday. The "rock star" philosophers of our time take "walks" through places that hold special resonance for them and their ideas. These places include crowed city streets, deserted alleyways, Central Park, and a garbage dump.

DVD 7065

Two nations of black America

There is a growing economic divide in black America. Today, America's black middle class is the largest in its history, yet roughly one-third of black America continues to live in poverty. This film measures the economic and social success of the civil rights movement and the gap between middle class and poor African-Americans through interviews with noted Afro-Americans and historical film footage.

DVD 5430