Banned Black films screened by African Odysseys since 2007 with facts, statistics, reasons plus systemic racism @BFI Southbank
The volunteer-run, African Odysseys film programme screened monthly, popular, anti-racist, Black films with Q&A’s for 17 years at the BFI. It regularly filled the Southbank 450 seater at 2pm on Saturdays when cinemas are typically ‘dead’.The British Film Institute ignored a 17,000 strong petition to keep it HERE .Refused to answer 8 simple questions. Then cancelled the programme so they could ‘cut costs and promote diversity’ HERE
Some of the films African Odysseys screened have been literally banned. This presentation will go through at least 20 of them explaining what these films were about, why they were banned and the current methods of suppressing Black films that challenge stereotypes; including the BFI’s recent discriminatory behaviour toward grassroots Black films even when they regularly sell out cinemas . We will cover
- Government agencies and their role in suppressing independent movie production
- Grassroots origins of African Odysseys: mentoring, museums, education
- Baldwin and Malcolm X the hidden stories
- ·How to ban a film without appearing to ban it
- ‘We don’t want a full house of Black people even if it will make us money’ with proof
- Where to access great African/Caribbean films
- Black Lives Matter: information suppression, the George Floyd backlash
- New platforms for viewing positive Black stories
- Institutional racism and performative ‘anti-racism’
- How Facebook and Instagram suppress positive Black content
Other coming events ww.blackhistorywalks.co.uk HERE
- Backlash the George Floyd Story , film on 6th June HERE
- Reclaiming Cocoa, film on history of chocolate 21st June HERE
- City of a Million Dreams, New Orleans Jazz/African Spirituality HERE
- 20 Banned Black Films you need to see Part TWO
- Black History Steam Train Trip
- Black History Bus Tour
- Black History Walks Theatreland, Hackney, Brixton, Mayfair, St Paul’s/Soho
- Fighting the slavemaster: Past and Present
- The Little Mermaid’s real Black history and the books to prove it
- How to teach GCSE Black History
- The Gentrification of Peckham and Black Urban removal worldwide
- Regents canal cruise
