Over the years, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has found itself the subject of criticism for not honoring and recognizing the contributions of Black cinema. Under the guidance of new Academy Museum President Jacqueline Stewart and Academy Board of Governors member Ava DuVernay, the museum is looking to rectify that with its new exhibit, Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971.
Opening Aug. 21 at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, the exhibit features film clips, costumes, posters and other memorabilia that showcases Black film history both good and bad.
For film buffs and history aficionados this exhibit is a must see, as it highlights both popular and lesser known movies and stars to examine the influence of Black people on film history. The end result is a fascinating celebration of Black culture.
“This landmark exhibition seeks to restore lost chapters of American film history, as it elevates the contributions of Black artists to present a more inclusive story, ” Stewart told The Root during a preview of the exhibit. “We are incredibly proud to present Regeneration, an exhibition that demonstrates how the Academy Museum shares new scholarship, offers a more expansive vision of American film history, and encourages public dialogue about the past and present of film as an art form and a social force.”
Consisting of seven galleries representing various periods, Regeneration begins with two short scenes from the silent film Something Good – Negro Kiss (1898). It features “vaudeville performers Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown in what appears to be one of the earliest examples of an on-screen performance of affection by Black actors,” per the official description. From there, guests can discover the impact of Black artists in musicals with clips of Lena Horne and the Nicholas Brothers in Stormy Weather and Dorthy Dandridge in Carmen Jones. Horne’s costume from Stormy Weather is on display alongside a suit worn by Sammy Davis Jr. in Porgy and Bess.
Visitors will also see work from “pioneering independent Black filmmakers such as Oscar Micheaux and so-called ‘race films’ from the 1910s to the 1940s; Black stars and film icons from the 1920s through the 1950s; and freedom movements in the 1950s and 1960s.” The final gallery is a tribute to groundbreaking filmmakers Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, William Greaves, Madeline Anderson, and Robert L. Goodwin.
A particularly stunning display is the wall of glamor shots celebrating classic film stars from the 1910s-1960s. Diahann Carroll, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Harry Belafonte and Cab Calloway are among the those showcased. And of course, no celebration of Black cinema is complete without a section devoted to Sidney Poitier. Performances from some of his best movies are highlighted in a collection of film clips.
Regeneration also includes Isaac Julien’s art installation “Baltimore,” which is a tribute to Melvin Van Peebles’ 1971 film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.
The Academy Museum is also presenting screenings of classic films and an accompanying curriculum for high school teachers, with “select biographies of influential thinkers and filmmakers, detailed explorations of the contemporary artworks included in the exhibition and unique film companions detailing the significant contributions and impact of Black filmmakers.”
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971 runs through April 2023 at the Academy Museum.