Ethnic Notions
| Ethnic Notions | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Marlon Riggs |
| Produced by | Marlon Riggs |
| Narrated by | Esther Rolle |
| Distributed by | California Newsreel |
Release date |
|
Running time | 56 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ethnic Notions is a 1987 video essay[1] documentary film directed by Marlon Riggs.[2] It examines anti-Black stereotypes that permeated popular culture from the ante-bellum period until the advent of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.[2]
Content
Ethnic Notions takes viewers on a voyage through American history, tracing the deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-Black prejudice. Through these images, viewers can understand the evolution of racial consciousness in the United States.
Ethnic Notions exposes and describes common stereotypes associated with African-Americans (The Tom, The Sambo, The Mammy, The Coon, The Brute, The Pickaninnies, The Minstrels) from the period surrounding the Civil War and the World Wars. The stereotypes are shown in different mediums such as cartoons, feature films, popular songs, minstrel shows, advertisements, folklore, household artifacts, and even children's rhymes. Narration is provided by Esther Rolle and commentary by respected scholars [Barbara Christian, UC Berkeley; Pat Turner, University of Massachusetts, Boston; George Fredrickson, Stanford University; Leni Sloan: choreographer; Carlton Moss: University of California, Irvine; Lawrence Levine, University of California, Berkeley] who shed light on the origins and devastating consequences of 150 years of these caricatures.
The documentary touches upon issues of servility, sexuality, appearances, the "noble" savage, and the impact of mass media on the image of African Americans and how this affects their self-image.
Reception
Ethnic Notions has become a mainstay of university, high school, and public library collections and the most widely seen of Marlon Riggs’ work. It won a National EMMY Award in 1988.
References
- ^ Blackness, Gayness, Representation: Marlon Riggs Unpacks It All in His Films - The New York Times
- ^ a b Grant, Nancy; Riggs, Marlon (December 1987). "Ethnic Notions". The Journal of American History. 74 (3): 1107. doi:10.2307/1902247. JSTOR 1902247. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
Sources
- Grant, Nancy. Rev. of Ethnic Notions. The Constitution and American Life. Ed. David Thelen. Spec. issue of Journal of American History 74.3 (December 1987): 1107–09.
- Leer, David Van. "Visible Silence: Spectatorship in Black Gay and Lesbian Film." Representing Blackness: Issues in Film and Video. Ed. Valerie Smith. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1997. 157–82.
- Welcome to Adelphi University | Kanopy, Marlon Riggs, 1987, adelphi.kanopy.com/video/ethnic-notions-0.