Black Panther Party - 1966-1976

The Black panther party is easily one of the most recognizable influences to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s. "The party’s original purpose was to patrol black ghettoes to protect residents from acts of police brutality." The aims and leadership of this party changed sporadically over its years of operation. "The Panther eventually ended up as a group who worked to bring about the release of all blacks from jail, and the payment of compensation to blacks for centuries of exploitation by white Americans. At its peak in the late 1960s, Panther membership exceeded 2,000 and the organization operated chapters in several major cities." (Black Panther Party). It is organizations such as this that the "badasses" of blaxploitation films were related to by the audiences. Having a relationship like this helped people see the blaxploitation all-stars as role models, and scared the white populations, who were already skeptical of the films, even more in that respect.

American Civil Right Movement - 1955-1968

The American Civil Rights Movement had many events that attempted to desegregate the United States such as: the Brown vs. Board of Education trial, Freedom Riders, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. These events, both successful and not, would be influential to the upcoming Blaxploitation movement in film. The Freedom Riders movement proved to be a nasty one as 13 members set out on May 4th, 1961 to test the ruling of the Boynton vs. Virgina case, which supposedly desgregated inter-state travel. " With the cooperation of the cops, a Klan mob of more than 100 ambush the Riders in Anniston AL, on Mothers Day, May 15. The Riders are brutally beaten and the Greyhound bus is set on fire. The mob holds the door shut to burn them alive. The Alabama Highway Partol has an undercover cop on board. He pulls his gun to force the mob back, and the passengers tumble off the bus — barely escaping with their lives — just as the gas tanks are exploding." (The First Ride). It is actions like this that fuel the need for revolt in the Blaxploitation films to come.

1963 - JFK Assassination

The lives of all Americans were impacted when they heard about the assassination of the 35th President, John F. Kennedy. This event occurred right in the middle of the American Civil Rights movement, and surely made people of all backgrounds feel less secure in the country which they resided in. The assassination also caused a lot of anger during its time period due to the mutual understanding and love for this particular presidential figure. Events such as this clearly would be influential in the upcoming Blaxploitation genre, which focused on the young, urban black man's struggle to live. The anger and desire for some sort of revenge that these films often showcase could be traced back to events such as this.

Mid 1940s - The End of World War II

The end of World War II brought a new patience and understanding for the returning soldiers, regardless of color. All soldiers were highly respected by the general public for their duties in this tragedy of war. Between the soldiers there was a common level of respect for each other after working with so many different people from different countries. American soldiers fought with soldiers from the U.S.S.R., England, and other countries, so they were much more understanding of different people from their experiences during the War.

1950 - A new look at Blacks in Hollywood

Around this time is when the appearance of blacks in Hollywood finally began to change from that of a "lazy sambo" or "mammy" figure to something much more manageable. Prior to the '50s the "southern" view of the black man dominated the screen in white-made films. Richard Welch points out in his article, "The art market in America is heavily Southern. Northern themes and personalities do not sell as well" (Welch 62). The 1950s were a completely new view of the black man and his abilities/life style. "1950 saw Hollywood presenting the story of a black middle class family..." (Sylvester). Not only did the audience get to see the black man as a well-distinguished individual, they also were able to see inside of the black household for the first time in this era. "No Way Out" is a prime example of these ideas, featuring the main character as a doctor, Dr. Luther Brooks. The viewer is also brought into the house of Brooks, and gets to see, in some sense of accuracy, what the household of the black family of the 1950s was like.

Introduction

"No Way Out" (1950) and "Shaft" (1971) are two very different films, but they are both landmarks in their own ways. "No Way Out" is important because it was the debut of the black icon Sydney Poitier. It was also one of the first Hollywood films to star a black man. "Shaft" is one of the most iconic films from the Blaxploitation genre, which emerged in the early 1970's (IMDB). These two films, along with all other films made by black, and even whites, were heavily affected by racism, as well as the cultural events going on in the country around them.

In the posts below, I will construct a time line of events that occurred int he years of, around, and between 1950 and 1971 that may have affected the making of these films. Plots, on-site filming areas, styles, language, and scripts (among many other aspects) were all surely changed to suit the needs of the consumer when these films were made. The majority of changes were caused by outside events such as the Assassination of JFK or the Black Power Movements. Let's take a look at some of the events that brought these films together.