In the 1980s, there were only 63 Black films by, for, or about Black Americans. But in the 1990s, that number quadrupled, with 220 Black films making their way to cinema screens nationwide. What sparked this “Black New Wave?” Who blazed this path for contemporaries like Ava DuVernay, Kasi Lemmons and Jordan Peele? And how did these films transform American culture as a whole? Presenting The Class of 1989, a new limited-run series from pop culture critics Len Webb and Vincent Williams, hosts of the acclaimed Black cinema podcast The Micheaux Mission. Each episode, Len and Vincent take us through the Black film renaissance of 1989 – a year of contradiction, controversy, and ultimate triumph for Black cinema – as they analyze the six films that left an indelible mark on the world: Harlem Nights, Lean on Me, Glory, A Dry White Season, Do the Right Thing and Driving Miss Daisy.
Produced in collaboration with The Podglomerate.
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In the 1980s, there were only 63 Black films by, for, or about Black Americans. But in the 1990s, that number quadrupled, with 220 Black films making their way to cinema screens nationwide. What sparked this “Black New Wave?” Who blazed this path for contemporaries like Ava DuVernay, Kasi Lemmons and Jordan Peele? And how did these films transform American culture as a whole? Presenting The Class of 1989, a new limited-run series from pop culture critics Len Webb and Vincent Williams, hosts of the acclaimed Black cinema podcast The Micheaux Mission. Each episode, Len and Vincent take us through the Black film renaissance of 1989 – a year of contradiction, controversy, and ultimate triumph for Black cinema – as they analyze the six films that left an indelible mark on the world: Harlem Nights, Lean on Me, Glory, A Dry White Season, Do the Right Thing and Driving Miss Daisy.
Produced in collaboration with The Podglomerate.
Bonus: Making Jordan Peele, from WBEZ's podcast Making
The Class of 1989
40 minutes
2 years ago
Bonus: Making Jordan Peele, from WBEZ's podcast Making
A special treat for Class of 1989 listeners, a consideration on one of today's most important Black creators, from WBEZ's hit podcast Making.
Jordan Peele is responsible for modern classics in the horror genre, including the films Us, Nope and the Oscar-winning Get Out. Before all that, he was a self-described nerd. He majored in puppetry in college before dropping out with his friend Rebecca Drysdale to pursue a career in comedy. Hear from Drysdale, Peele’s early collaborator Brendan Hunt and cultural critic Aisha Harris about Jordan Peele’s rise to comedic and horror genius.
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The Class of 1989
In the 1980s, there were only 63 Black films by, for, or about Black Americans. But in the 1990s, that number quadrupled, with 220 Black films making their way to cinema screens nationwide. What sparked this “Black New Wave?” Who blazed this path for contemporaries like Ava DuVernay, Kasi Lemmons and Jordan Peele? And how did these films transform American culture as a whole? Presenting The Class of 1989, a new limited-run series from pop culture critics Len Webb and Vincent Williams, hosts of the acclaimed Black cinema podcast The Micheaux Mission. Each episode, Len and Vincent take us through the Black film renaissance of 1989 – a year of contradiction, controversy, and ultimate triumph for Black cinema – as they analyze the six films that left an indelible mark on the world: Harlem Nights, Lean on Me, Glory, A Dry White Season, Do the Right Thing and Driving Miss Daisy.
Produced in collaboration with The Podglomerate.
