DOCUMENTARIES

I do love documentaries, and will watch just about anything that grabs my attention, from history to biography to any of the arts. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to watch two new examples, and they were instructive and jarring, beautiful and troubling.

Critic Roger Ebert, lover of movies and irascible celebrity film reviewer alongside Gene Siskel for so many years, is the focus of Life Itself (2014), a remarkably well done documentary that covered both his life and the fight against cancer, that left his face disfigured but didn't halt his drive or even production until the very last day of his life. I will admit that it was hard viewing the flapping maw that was once his chin (as well as the episodes of suction, but is is good that the reality of the battle be seen. I was amazed by the power and love of his wife Chaz, who he married at age 50. The documentary seemed very honest, and didn't seem to sugar coat his life, pointing out that he could be a curmudgeon and, well, prick, sometimes. But it showed that he was much more than what we often saw on the small screen, diverse in his talents, caring in his relations with his adopted family, and perhaps even affectionate for his sparring partner (who died in 1999). Sometimes the adjectives of "brave" and such applied to a person battling for their life can be overdone, but he seemed to keep good humor and willpower even as he struggled with pain and physical deterioration. The film certainly changed the way I thought of the man, and much for the better.

Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People (2014) was a beautifully presented and informative exploration of historical and contemporary African American photographers, from the early days of the media, through the struggles of Reconstruction and Civil Rights, and up to modern support and expansion of black photographic art. The film is full of absolutely stunning pieces, many of which I had seen before, although there was quite a bit new to me. I have for a long time been somewhat familiar with a few black photographers, especially Richard Samuel Roberts, whose beautiful work is covered in A True Likeness (both the book and an ETV documentary). The documentary mixes a little of the producer's family's amateur work with the photography by and of important black leaders and individuals. Simply amazing work that I hope spurs viewers to look up and view and even visit exhibitions of the work of former and current photographers. It will empower, enlighten, and engage; I think it would be a good film to show high school and college students.

AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'

Don't know why it took me so long, but I finally managed to attend a show at Trustus Theater in Columbia. And what an enjoyable time I had. The house was rocking for opening night for the musical Ain't MisBehavin', a raucous look at the music of Fats Waller and life in World War II-era Harlem, told through musical vignettes, basically (as there really isn't any story line). The performers (only five, not counting the band) filled the intimate theater with lively banter and song, and the crowd often responded joyfully. I loved the layout of the seat and the closeness almost everyone feels to the stage. Directed by Terrance Henderson, the talented singer/dancers (Devin Anderson, Avery Bateman, Katrina Blanding, Kendrick Marion, and Samuel McWhite) were expressive and fun, and connected with great rapport to the audience. Since I can't compare it to anything I've seen before, I thought the group did a wonderful job. The costuming and sets were good (although I wish they could find a better way to hide the audio equipment when women are wearing fancy dresses).  Really wonderful job with "Black and Blues." I had to explain a bit to the young student who sat nearby. I definitely want to attend more performances at Trustus.

CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY

Attended tonight at the University of South Carolina a lecture by Bancroft-winning legal historian Tomiko Brown-Nagin as part of her promtional tour, I guess, of her book Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement (2011). As she described it, the work is a corrective to the common view of looking only at the big cases and lawyers (such as Brown and Marshall) and exploring the work of many lawyers in both fighting on a local level and contesting the focus of the struggle, as seen through the advocacy of Atlanta's CR lawyers. Sponsored by the Institue for African American Research and held at Cooper Library, Dr. Brown-Nagin sketched out the three major waves of legal involvement as it morphed from emphasis on voting rights and limited inclusion, to more radical push for complete equal rights, to an emphasis on making sure advances addressed poverty, housing, and other economic ills. I was dismayed somewhat by the low attendance, both from within the department and generally, especially by undergraduates (who seemed completely absent).

And this is only a light criticism, but someone needs to do a better job editing the IAAR newsletter.

PEA ISLAND

Watched today a nice documentary film Rescue Men: The Story of the Pea Island Life Savers (2010), funded by the North Carolina Council for the Humantities, covering the valiant and professional service of a group of African American lifesavers at Pea Island, North Carolina (on the barrier islands) during the post Civil War period. Led by the stern yet fair Richard Etheridge (a former slave, decorated Civil War sergeant and Buffalo soldier), who fought to keep his crew in topmost readiness, as well as countered racist criticism and worse. The segregated crew managed to obtain an almost perfect record of saving lives, including a daring rescue during a hurricane (which would not be honored for more than one hundred years) in which crew members swam out into the surf to bring the entire crew of a grounded ship to shore, without the loss of any lives. Coastal lifesavers eventually melded with the Cutter Service to establish the U.S. Coast Guard, and this film reveals a forgotten part of the story. I recommend it for teachers and personal use, and applaud the historians who uncovered and wrote about the story of these brave men.

BLACK CIVIL WAR REFUGEES

Attended an interesting lecture tonight at the University of South Carolina by Duke University professor Thavolia Glymph (who I served as a TA my first year at USC) who forcefully noted the glaring omission of scholarly attention given to the humanitarian disaster heaped upon refugee ex-slaves, especially women and children, during the Civil War, largely from gross negligence and racial (and cultural) blindness to the horrors of life in camps, particularly in the western theater. Many thousands of women and children died from malnutrition, disease, and maltreatment; were caught in the middle of fighting and shot to death or recaptured; were attacked by confederate raiders and slaughtered, while large numbers were often reenslaved. As black men were brought into the army or conscripted for manual labor, their women were often forced to deal with relocation and sought safety for themselves and their children, and they were left vulnerable both to the enemy and deprivations by the Union forces with whom they sought sanctuary. While many at the time criticized refugees who reported on these events as being crazy and untruthful, black freedpersons were well aware of the possibilities of death and reenslavement. Even the abolitionist and black press failed to highlight their plight, preferring instead to concentrate on the exploits of black troops (a trend carried on with movies such as Glory). Hundreds of thoudands of books have concentrated on military aspects of the conflict, and historians have spilled much ink on the plight of slaveholding women, but they have almost totally ignored black refugees, despite a wealth of information in official reports, letters, and other sources that have been openly used by scholars for years. Dr. Glymph, despite experiencing personal tragedy this week, soldiered on and delivered an inspiring talk, that should marshall many graduate students to uncover this and other hidden aspects of African American life during the war and reconstruction. I look forward to reading her book. I would love to be working with her on this subject right now, it sounds like a wonderful dissertation topic. I wonder too if any work has been done on ex-slaves who may have been kidnapped and sold southward to countries that kept the institution beyond emancipation on our shores. It was great to see her and chat, and show off my boys (who actually stayed and listened to the lecture, and were well behaved), and I hope the African American Studies program can continue to bring in noted scholars for their research grants as well as talks to students and the public (not just during this month). It was also nice to actually chat with Professors Donaldson and Littlefield, as well as several graduate students. I was a little surprised there were not a few more history professors in attendance.