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.
We look at the after-effects of the films of 1989. Eddie Murphy pivots to Black audiences as the major studios loosen their purse strings for Black (male) filmmakers, leaving Black women to get into the game on their terms. Yes, money, politics, and summer blockbusters are factors, but there's no denying 1989 was a launching pad for what was to come.
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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.
