MASTERBAKER's African American History

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Black History Fact: Bessie Coleman was the first African American Woman to earn her Pilot's license in 1921...She had to travel to France to get her license, but as a black woman in America she was not allowed to fly...#KRNB #BlackHistoryMonth #Livelifesmooth

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Hired in 1955 as a human computer, mathematician Annie Easley led a 34-year NASA career developing software code for numerous programs. Her work on the Centaur rocket booster project framed the technical foundation for launching future satellites: https://go.nasa.gov/3uySNwW
 

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Black Film History

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Here is a list of the black-themed horror films we have presented for October. Unfortunately, there were several films we didn't cover this year because time didn't permit it, but we remembered and will present them next time. Let us know if you have any questions. There were great discussions, responses, and reactions to the movies we introduced.
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Based on reactions, likes, and comments, here are the top 10 most popular posts from the list in order:
1. The People Under the Stairs (1991)
2. Beloved (1998)
3. Tales from the Hood (1995)
4. The House of Dies Drear (1984)
5. Sugar Hill (1974)
6. Black Devil Doll from Hell (1984)
7. J.D.'s Revenge (1976)
8. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
9. Blacula (1972)
10. Abby (1974)
You can find these movies on DVD/Blu-ray and streaming services without issue.
 

Tessa21

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Registered
Is this limited to only Black American films?

There are some great afro-brazilian movies that need more of a spotlight.
 

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The Legend Of Eric Monte: The Genius Behind The Renaissance Of Black Television
The reality is that a Black man named Eric Monte is the genius behind the renaissance of Black television In the 1970s.
Written By davontah
Posted November 3, 2022

 Eric Monte the creator - Scene From 'Good Times'

Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
‘Good Times,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ ‘What’s Happening!!’ When you hear the names of these shows, you immediately think about the pantheon of Black television. In the 1970s, these sitcoms provided audiences with countless memorable moments and paved the way for a lot of the shows that we currently watch.

MORE: Daughter Of ‘Good Times’ Co-Creator Secures Rights To Show, Talks Importance Of The Black Family On Screen
We all know how important these shows were and still are to our culture. We all know that seeing Black people’s everyday lives being depicted on screen was something that we had never seen up until that point. What most people don’t know though, is the history of these shows and the controversy that surrounds them.

For the longest, television screenwriter, film, and television producer Norman Lear was credited with creating these groundbreaking shows. The reality is that a Black man named Eric Monte is the genius behind the renaissance of Black television. In a tweet posted by @hwd_sports we learn more.

Eric Monte was born Kenneth Williams in Chicago, Illinois. After dropping out of Cooley Vocational High School in his junior year, he enlisted in the United States Army. Upon returning from his stint in the Army, Monte made his move to Los Angeles, California. He got his first break with a script written for and accepted by ‘All in the Family,’ which eventually contributed to the spawning of ‘The Jeffersons.’ After that, he produced ‘Good Times’ (which he co-created with ‘The Jeffersons’ star Mike Evans) and ‘What’s Happening!!’ (which was based on his screenplay for the motion picture ‘Cooley High’).
The conundrum came when Monte accused Norman Lear of stealing his ideas for his shows and claimed them as his own. He claims that he was cheated out of creative credits and millions of dollars. The claims obviously had some validity to them because Monte filed a lawsuit against Norman Lear, CBS, Tandem Productions, and Harry Perenchio and received a $1-million settlement and a small percentage of the residuals from Good Times.
Scene From 'Good Times' Eric Monte

Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty

Good Times - Eric Monte

Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
After the settlement, Monte’s opportunities dried up drastically. He went on to suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, and homelessness before turning things around and maintaining sobriety. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Although his tale didn’t have the storybook ending that most might have hoped, his legacy will forever live on. Without him, the characters, and stories he told through his shows, we might not have ever seen a complete Black family on television. He is now commonly recognized for depicting African American culture on TV screens across America. Regardless if he gets his proper recognition or not, we would like to give him his flowers and thank him for his contributions.
 

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Black Film History
1h ·
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"The Black King" (1932) is a comedy-drama loosely based on the life of Marcus Garvey. In 1940, the film got re-released as "Harlem Big Shot." White filmmakers produced several movies during the Race film era (movies made for Black audiences), so stereotypical conducts weren't uncommon, but to make a satirical film about Marcus Garvey's movement is a different tier of audacity. Nevertheless, the movie had its moments led by veteran actor A.B. DeComathiere. He began his career in 1920 with Oscar Micheaux, where he starred in several silent films throughout the 1920s.

The acting isn't half-bad. Mr. DeComatheire has a decent supporting cast with Lorenzo Tucker (another Micheaux favorite) and Vivian Barber, which was her only film. I recommend this movie for its historical purpose of seeing Black actors and actresses in the early days of filmmaking.

Director: Bud Pollard
Writers: Morris M. Levinson (story and adaptation), Donald Heywood (dialogue)

Storyline
Crooked minister "Charcoal Johnson" outs a kindly old reverend from his Logan, Mississippi church and takes it over. Johnson plans to get the church members to give him money for a "Back to Africa" movement and to proclaim himself King of the United States of Africa.
https://www.daarac.ngo
https://www.daaracarchive.org/.../the-black-king-1932.html

This movie is readily available on DVD and streaming services. The picture quality will vary.
https://www.amazon.com/Junction-Black-King.../dp/B000HIVISS
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wwetv100

Rising Star
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Lear has uploaded this classic today on his official youtube channel.
George attends a KKK meeting unknowingly.



The irony of this episode with this topic.

 
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Birmingham Black Barons with 17 year old Willie Mays in the center celebrate winning the 1948 Negro League World Series
 

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Kenneth Monts
November 26 at 2:20 AM ·

November 26, 1878
On This Day In OUR HISTORY, Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, hall of fame bicyclist, was born in rural Indiana. At thirteen, Taylor was hired to perform cycling stunts outside a bicycle shop while wearing a soldier’s uniform, hence the nickname” Major.” Taylor was banned from bicycle racing in Indiana because of his race and therefore moved to the East Coast. In 1896, he entered his first professional race in Madison Square Garden and won. Over his career, he raced in the United States, Australia, and Europe, including winning the world one mile track cycling championship in 1899 and becoming known as “The Black Cyclone.” Although he was celebrated in Europe, Taylor’s career was held back in the United States and he retired in 1910, saying he was tired of the racism. Although he was reported to earn between $25,000 and $30,000 a week while racing, Taylor died a pauper June 21, 1932. Taylor was posthumously inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1989. A statue to memorialize Taylor was unveiled May 21, 2008 in Worcester, Massachusetts and Indianapolis, Indiana named the city’s bicycle track the Major Taylor Velodrome in 1982, the first building in Indianapolis built with public funds to be named after a Black person. Nike markets a sports shoe called the Major Taylor. Taylor published his autobiography, “Autobiography: The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World,” in 1929. Other biographies of Taylor include “Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer” (1988) and the television miniseries “Tracks of Glory: The Major Taylor Story.
Source: African American Registry
 

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Black Film History
3h ·

"She's Gotta Have It" (1986) is Spike Lee's first major motion picture film introducing the world to his artistic abilities and his favorite city, Brooklyn. This movie consists primarily of amateur actors, but they did a fantastic job delivering a classic film. In addition, Lee's emphatic statement about black sexuality was a new look into a new generation of African Americans' societal impacts and cultural perspectives.

The emergence of Lee as a filmmaker was right on time. After the end of the notable Blaxploitation era in the 70s, black filmmaking significantly declined between 1980 and 1986. As a result, most of the actors from the 70s era weren't appearing in major motion pictures as often, and Hollywood got what it needed from their success. Eddie Murphy was the new guy, and he was a sensation.

Trivia Question: Can you name any black films made between 1980 and 1986?
 

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JESSIE MAE HEMPHILL (1934-2006) playing her National Bolero guitar. She was a great original blues artist from Senatobia, Mississippi, the heart of the Hill Country. She played her own deep hypnotic style shared by her neighbors Fred MacDowell, R.L. Burnside, and Othar Turner. In the 1980s and early 1990s she toured the world extensively and enjoyed success until she was debilitated by a stroke in 1993. I got to know her and share some festival bills with her in this period, …​
 
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