Thoughts About Black Art

By Aramide Tinubu

Black art is embedded in American culture. It’s first frowned upon and then appropriated and claimed by the masses. Since the beginning of time -- Black art, literature, and images have informed what it means to be an American. Yet, anti Blackness has tried to disavow and erase Black art across all mediums.

In cinema and television, specifically, following the ‘90s boom of Black images in films like Boyz n the Hood and on TV shows like Moesha, Black images were effectively booted off-screen. When we ushered in 2010, the top movie of the year was The Hurtlocker, and the highest-rated TV show was ABC’s Modern Family. Aside from Tyler Perry Productions, Black faces had virtually disappeared.

That changed drastically in 2012 when Kerry Washington stepped into Olivia Pope’s stilettos for Shonda Rhimes’ hit drama, Scandal. The show would mark the first time in nearly 40 years that a Black woman led a network drama. The Washington x Rhimes team effectively shattered the barriers for Black storytelling in cinema and on the TV screen, paving the way for shows like Black-ish and The Watchman and films like Moonlight and Girls Trip.

Blackness is back in vogue in Hollywood. With cable, network TV shows, and a plethora of streaming services, Black art on screen is thriving. As we enter into a new decade, new issues have arisen. There is an unspoken secret in the industry that Black film and cultural critics cannot take the work of Black artists to task for fear of undermining the work of our sistas and brothers. Yet, by silencing the analysis and criticisms of Black art —we erase ourselves, our voices, and our differing experiences. This would be a grave disservice to Black artists and their beautiful, painful, magical work.