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If you've been anywhere around the web over the past year, chances are you've seen a clip or twelve from the documentary What Black Men Think. After much searching, I finally got ahold of a copy, and I'm happy to report that the documentary lives up to it's considerable advance billing.
The flick starts off on an ominous note by rolling out a cast of "experts" I'm not necessarily very fond of. Conservative talking heads like Armstrong Williams, Shelby Steele, Joseph C. Phillips, Jesse Lee Peterson, and Michael Steele are intermixed with a gaggle of everyday dudes, including director Janks Morton, who provides Michael Moore-ish narration throughout.
The documentary then dives headfirst into debunking some commonly held stereotypes about black men, by providing some historical reference to attempt to explain why we're in our current state. Morton deftly rolls out stat after stat about black male incarceration, college enrollment, causes of death, annual salaries, the down-low brother phenomenon, and even interracial marriages, then tells a deeper story behind the numbers. By intermixing man-on-the-street interviews with expert analysis, the movie goes a long way towards dispelling some very harmful misconceptions about the state of Black men in America, while not coming off as apologist. And in doing so, it inadvertently pulls off an amazing feat: it makes guys like Steele, Peterson, and Williams human, likeable even. That's worth the price of admission itself.
Still, the doc's not without it's flaws. A longwinded explanation of how the civil rights movement was undone by the "free love/me me me" movement of the late 60's falls a bit short of it's potential impact. A frank discussion about the role of black men in childbearing, and a deeper exploration of the 70% out of wedlock birth rate is largely sidestepped. And eventually the movie turns into an exploration of racism's effects on Black America as a whole. You get the feeling that it's about 15 minutes longer than it needs to be.
Minor criticisms aside, I'd highly recommend getting a copy of What Black Men Think. The production quality is slick and at a running time of 84 minutes, things never get dull. And who knows, you just might learn a new thing or two about the Average Brother in the process.
Final Verdict: What Black Men Think is an insightful behind the stats look at the state of black men in America. 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Just in case you haven't seen the excerpts, here's a refresher.
WBMT Trailer
Taalam Acey's Market For Ni@@as: NSFW Language
What Black Men Think [Official Website]
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10 AverageComments™:
Looks like a good movie for me to watch. I'm sorry to say that I thoughtlessly believed the "more young black men in jail than college" one.
Thanks!
I'm going to watch this movie I am intrigued. Question: Ummmm.. Whats wrong with Black Conservatives? How many people did they kill, how many of our women did they call bitches? How many rapes? How many robberies? All they did was dare to think differently than mainstream Black America which hurts nobody. And they are the problem right? That cracks me up.
Great post - found this blog through a link from another bloggers. I just ordered the DVD - can't wait to watch it!
Great site, AB. I've been enjoying it since discovering it a few weeks back.
Regarding the doc and the stats mentioned in it, you might be interested in the debate between Janks Morton (the doc's director) and me on the jail vs. college issue and the graduation rate for minorities.
Keep up the good work with the site.
PS: Heard you on NPR. You were way too hard on yourself in your earlier post. Clearly a case of being your own worst critic.
thanks for shouting out taalam. i have been a fan of his since my days of undergrad. not only are his words powerful, but he is a very down to earth type of guy, who stands by what he says. i encourage all to check out his stuff.
Another excellent post by AB. I really liked the juxtaposition of the WBMT trailer with Taalam. A one-two punch that makes you think...
AB,
Thanks for this post. I did see clips from this a while back but haven't heard from it since. I'll be ordering this one. Interesting link in the comments on the stats debate. Would be interested to read you post on that.
Good looking out, AB. Will be ordering this for the 18 y.o. stepson's next visit. It will make for an interesting and thought provoking father & son movie night.
Hey AB, you might want to pick up a book by one of those black conservatives. Although their views may be contrary to most, many of them are well thought out without often-used rhetoric and empty stats.
I've been meaning to check out that film, but no luck yet. Netflix service is really bad from my experience.
@ Vee and Daedalus,
You might be surprised (or not) to hear this, but a good majority of the books I pickup from the library are written by black conservatives like the very ones I mentioned here. I'm currently reading Jesse Lee Petersen's Scammed which is more less another take on the book Shakedown which exposed Jesse Jackson's ruthless extortion of corporate America. So, believe me, I take in more than enough disparate opinions.
My issue with most of these guys (Ward Connerly too) is that they are so insistent on blacks abandoning "victim mindsets" (which I mostly agree with) that they refuse to acknowledge that some institutional racism does indeed exist. If it's simply a case of pulling onself up from one's boostraps, then how in the hell do you explain the divorce rates, highschool dropout rates, murder rates, incarceration rates, and drug use in White America, which hasn't really been held back by any forms of such oppression?
I agree with some of what these guys espouse, but ultimately (like I hope everyone is) I'm my own man with my own set of opinions.
In the words of the related Omar Little... "Indeed!"
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