This 1970 informal discussion appeared on national television - PBS - and was part of a series of television specials that presented the Black American perspective from a Black point of view. The executive producer and director was Bill Greaves. Although most of the production crew were Black I worked for Bill Greaves on a regular basis as a freelance cameraman on some of his projects.
The reporter seen in this program worked for the Chicago Daily Defender, America's largest Black newspaper at the time. She was reporting on the emergence of the "new Black woman”. It was a time when Black Americans were talking about Black consciousness, Black is beautiful, Black power, and about the relationships between Black men and Black women - about the Black family structure and the values that men and women felt.
The film team set up a discussion between Black men and Black women that I found absolutely fascinating today in terms of what has happened to the Black family.
As many of my subscribers know, I focus my RU-vid presentations on several issues that were taking place in America in the 1950s, the 1960s and the 1970s and 80s and 90s. In 1970, so much of the work that I was asked to do and was asked of other independent documentary filmmakers, involved the evolving vocal Black culture. Many described it as a new "racial pride."
As an American young person and a working independent documentary filmmaker back then, I found myself dealing with these subjects frequently. I never developed a strong political or social point of view because it wasn't my culture and I often found myself more of a witness then someone directly involved.
This conversation between black men and black women is fascinating to me and I hope that it provokes an interesting dialogue in your comments when you see it.
If you found this of interest I ask you to support my efforts to continue to present films like this by clicking the Super Thanks button below the video screen.
Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker
21 янв 2023
