Due Oct 4 – Oct 13
Research—and a symptomatic artifact
This week and next we assemble primary sources toward the upcoming Presentation and Historical Essay.
Second, do just a little bit of primary source research, posting a news article or advertisement or political poster—some fragment of the past that offers insight into public attitudes on your topic.
Puzzling Sources
If you have any sources that really puzzle you, that can serve as a nucleus for research.
Post a puzzling source, if you have one you want us to look at in class. If you don’t have one so far, keep on the lookout and post one on Thursday.
Movie
Watch the 1967 Oscar-Winning movie In the Heat of the Night. It’s available on Amazon (free to Prime viewers), as a Youtube rental, on Google Play, on Vudu, and on Apple iTunes for $3 or $4, depending on platform. I’ve created a course Blackboard page for the purpose of screening this movie; let me know if you don’t see “RH102 A1 A Nation Riven” listed on your Blackboard—or if you run into another issue.
Post ONE of the following below (choose which one to post based on what others haven’t covered):
- A memorable line
- A focal scene
- A key theme of the work, something which might serve as a starting point for answering the question, “What is this movie about?”
- An event or political controversy that might impact how we understand this movie, which won 7 Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Actor) in 1967.
More Puzzling Sources
If you didn’t post a puzzling source last time, post one for us to look at today.
The Movie, Redux in Relation to Contextual Sources
Look at the following sources, choose one that strikes you as potentially interesting for In the Heat of the Night, and post your thoughts (briefly) below.
- Life Magazine’s coverage of the Mar 1965 Selma-Montgomery March (pp 30-37)
- Life’s coverage of the Aug 1965 Watts Riots (pp 20-34)
- Life’s June 1966 (p 94) and May 1967 (p 76A-82) profiles of Stokely Carmichael of SNCC.
- Renata Adler’s Mar 1968 NYTimes piece on trends for Black roles in American cinema (p 94).
- Show/Hide Tue week 5 HW: Research Proposals | Primary Sources
- Show/Hide Thu week 5 HW: Puzzling Sources | Movie
- Show/Hide Thu week 6 HW: Puzzling Sources | Movie Redux
Research Proposals
Keep it brief; we can discuss further during class.
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Given what we have learned from Van Gosse’s “The Movements of the New Left” and the documents he included on the anti-War movement from the SDS, I would like to explore how the media influenced this movement, since the Vietnam War was particularly horrific and was the first televised war with widely reported media coverage. I want to draw on sources that exemplify the communication between students that were a part of the movement (these will be primary sources), as well as sources that more broadly discuss the war itself and the media coverage of it (these might be primary sources like news articles, but also could be secondary sources).
Given what we learned from Flora Davis about women’s liberation, I’d like to find out more about the visual artistic impression within the Women’s Rights Movement. My research would be very primary source driven, looking at zines and independent newspapers made by women of the era, as well as more formal visual art installations (paintings, photography, etc.). From this point I would try to pull out the names of creators I’m most drawn to, and do a deep dive on the works/ideologies of these specific women. Overall, I want to understand how the sentiment of this turbulent period was represented through artistic expression, and I would like to see what parallels I can draw to today or other waves of feminism since the 1960s.
Given what we learned from Christopher Strain about the 1960s, I’d like to find out more about the progression of the Civil Rights Movement during that time. Going deeper, I want to focus on 1963, for I want to argue that it was the most significant year for civil rights in terms of progression and moments. The three moments I want to focus on the most in this time are the Children’s Crusade, the 16th Street Church Bombing, and the March on Washington. I plan to use secondary sources, mainly from newspapers and research articles, along with primary articles, like speeches and letters.
Given what we learned from Sitkoff and Van Gosse, I would like to learn more about Black activists’ perspective on the Vietnam War. To find out more, I will look at primary source news documents about discrimination from inside the war zone, along with protests and activism from home. Specifically, I would like to look at protests of the draft and of racial disparities within the war. I can look at documents written directly from activist organizations to see their stance on the war, as well. I also want to look back at Van Gosse’s writing and Christopher Strain’s The Long Sixties for more general information.
Given what we learned from Flora Davis about the Women’s Liberation movement, I would like to learn more about feminist women’s resentment and anger towards men through their language and their actions, as well as responses to it in news coverage and from other New Left groups. I plan on drawing from primary sources from Women’s Liberation groups (statements, opinion pieces, publishings, flyers, speeches), primary sources of other New Left and feminist groups responding, and newspaper articles covering Women’s liberation groups.
Given what we learned from Van Gosse’s “The Movements of the New Left” about women’s rights, I’d like to find out more about the New York Radical Women, Shulamith Firestone, and the Redstockings. Along with the “Principles” from Gosse’s collection, I would like to look into other primary sources such as the Redstockings Manifesto and other accounts from women in these organizations. I would also like to look further into Shulanith Firestone and her involvement in both these organizations and her impact in them.
Given what we learned from Van Gosse about the New Left, I’d like to find out more about Malcolm X and his greater impact on the 1960s. After reading and analyzing Malcolm X’s Message to the Grassroots within the documents of Van Gosse’s book, I was intrigued to learn more about Malcolm X and other significant pieces he developed. As a figure that was only briefly mentioned throughout my upbringing and high school years, X has led me to discover his powerful The Ballot or the Bullet speech. This writing will be the key primary source I draw upon, but I also plan to find news articles that cover first-hand accounts of hearing the speech and the moments following it.
Given what we learned about from Van Gosse and Christopher Strain about the 1960s gay rights movement, I would like to learn more about the conflicts and intersections in the gay rights movement (specifically in relation to gay BIPOC and gay women), as well as how the larger media depicted the movement. To do so, I want to draw on primary sources, such as newspapers of the period and direct pieces/speeches from the forefronts of gay rights groups. I also plan on utilizing both “The Movements of the New Left” and “The Long Sixties,” and similar secondary sources to compare and contrast different historians’ takes on the movement.
Given what we learned about from Van Gosse and Christopher Strain about the 1960s gay rights movement, I would like to learn more about the conflicts and intersections in the gay rights movement (specifically in relation to gay BIPOC and gay women), as well as how the larger media depicted the movement. To do so, I want to draw on primary sources, such as newspapers of the period and direct pieces/speeches from the forefronts of gay rights groups. I also plan on utilizing both “The Movements of the New Left” and “The Long Sixties,” and similar secondary sources to compare and contrast different historians’ takes on the movement.
Given what we learned from Van Gosse about the minority empowerment movements, specifically the Black Panther Party, I’d like to find out more about the New Haven Black Panther trials that took place between 1969 and 1971. A key death in these trails was the death of Alex Rackley and, after previously doing some research on Fred Hampton, I see Rackley’s death along with these trials being a key turning point in the general social attitude towards this group. I see myself utilizing news articles, editorials, as well as Van Gosse’s broad overview of the Black Panther Party while researching this topic.
Given what we have learned from Van Gosse about the Women’s Liberation Movement, I would like to explore more about the effects of consumerism on the average middle class population especially in regards to health and stereotypes. For example, I would like to explore the effects of cigarettes given that research in this time had exposed its detrimental effects to one’s health. To do this, I would like to analyze difference in advertising and if there is no effect in advertisement, I would like personal accounts on how the population felt on this? Were people knowledgable on the health concerns and didn’t know any better? Did people mind the health concerns due to addiction?
Primary Sources
Post just one, with a comment about why it’s interesting / what it tells us about the era.
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Attachment Antiwar-poster.pdf
This is a poster to organize a March on Washington protest against Vietnam War. I found it interesting because it provided insight into how the young students of SDS organized their movements, like this march, and what tactics the SDS found most effective in getting people involved. This poster is an example of how the SDS communicated nationwide with other branches of the same movement and used media to their advantage. It also demonstrates how other New Left movements influenced this one. In this case, it seems the March On Washington orchestrated by the Civil Rights Movement in 1963 greatly influenced the SDS, as they are attempting a similar march in 1965.
Attachment Heresies_-A-Feminist-Publication-on-Arts-Politics.pdf
Attached is a feminist zine called “Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Arts & Politics.”, which encourages feminism with a very hostile sentiment toward men. I’m mostly interested in the “too much armor / too little brains” page (pdf page 4), where there appears to be a drawn correlation between the disaster that wiped out the dinosaurs and the scarily large US military fund. Essentially, this page delivers a clear anti war message by equating this government funded violence to an impending doom that will cost the lives of the entire population. Beneath that, it is evident that the illustrator of this piece blames the male leadership for this doomsday, which begs the question, at what point does feminism become too anti-men?
Attachment Tensions_of_Black_Power_Reach_.pdf
“Tensions of Black Power Reach Troops in Vietnam” is a news article published by The New York Times in 1969. It provides insight on Black soldier’s experiences fighting in the Vietnam war. The article frequently reports many friendships between black and white soldiers, but despite this emphasis also brings up the discrimination that many black soldiers faced. There are reports of white soldiers flying confederate flags and yelling racial slurs at black soldiers. Despite this, many soldiers were hesitant to bring up problems related to race, because they didn’t want it to get them sent to the front lines. The article also talks about Black Panthers attempts at recruiting members from inside the war. While they did not receive much success, their influence was still felt as there are reports of Black Power flags being flown.
Attachment Malcolm_X_Terms_Dr._Kings_Tac.pdf
Attached to this piece is Malcolm X Terms Dr. King’s Tactics Futile by M.S. Handler of the New York Times. Here, Malcolm is giving his perspective on the Children’s Crusade in 1963, where children marched in the Birmingham streets for their rights, in which Martin Luther King. It is no secret that King and X are opposites when approaching the problem that is unfair rights for blacks. This case is no different, for X calls out King, saying that “Real men,” he said, “don’t put their children on the firing line” (Handler). This article mainly highlights the reality of the Civil Rights Movement. Although everyone involved wants the black race to thrive, not everyone agrees with the solutions to get there. That is the power of the media. It is capable of capturing so many different perspectives at once. Some you have heard repeatedly, along with others you never even consider.
Attachment Redstockings-Manifesto.pdf
In the attached piece, The Redstocking Manifesto published on July 7, 1969, the Redstockings outline their beliefs. They express the oppression they feel as women and highlight the role men play in the patriarchal dynamic. It points out that “all men have pressed women” and underscores the benefits men get simply for being men due to the structure of society. It also created a sisterhood and unity among women.
New York Radical Women “No More Miss America” leaflet, August 1968 (found in Van Gosse’s Movements of the New Left—and also here).
A leaflet from Women’s Liberationists protesting the Miss America pageant, I found this document intriguing because of the comments it makes towards men who are supportive of their goals. It discourages liberal men from attending or joining in their rallies, which I think is an interesting and definitely strong statement. It also states that they will not take interviews with male journalists, they will talk to “only newswomen”, an important shift in language to note as they move away from male-centric linguistic descriptors.
Attachment NYT-Ballot-or-Bullet-Malcolm-X-Article.pdf
The New York Times’ “1,000 in Harlem Cheer Malcolm X” alludes to a sensation of victory following Malcolm X’s famous The Ballot or the Bullet speech. Furthermore, the article provided a general overview of the 40-minute speech, which entailed urging “22 million so-called Negroes to join any Black Nationalist organization” as well as “internationalizing the civil rights problem.” Being written without an author signifies to me that this piece was written by a collective group of writers, and the news article overall fit the theme of a primary source well, as it recalled and summarized X’s speech from a viewpoint that I cannot challenge.
YouTube link
Attached is a videotape of Sylvia Rivera’s speech
“Y’all Better Quiet Down.” Rivera, a trans latina woman who was one of the forefronts of the gay rights movement in NYC, shares her frustrations about the white, middle class-focused spheres of gay rights and how the organization she and friend Marsha P. Johnson created, STARS (Street Transvestite Action Revolution) works to fight for trans, poor, people of color involved in the gay rights movement since others don’t. Her speech directly calls out the conflicts and intersectionality within the movement itself and watching her speech, hearing the urgency in her voice speaking about this issue, is striking.
Attachment ROLE_IN_MURDER_LAID_TO_PANTHER.pdf
Attached is a New York Times Article published August 1, 1970 titled “Role in Murder Laid to Panther.” This article reports on Rackley’s murder and identifies a key theme throughout this time period of officials planting informants within the party in order to get information and help take out members. Various key figures including George Sams Jr. and Landon Williams are mentioned in this article. This article would help provide insight into the often complicated interrogations that went on during the time of the Black Panthers when it came time to figure out who was actually guilty of spreading information outside of the organization.
Attachment
This magazine article displays a recommended routine for smoking upon discovering its negative effects. This magazine is interesting because it seems to be feeding into the concerns of the people while also promoting a product.
Puzzling Sources
if any, from your ongoing research
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Democracy Is Nothing If It Is Not Dangerous
This source is an article written by the president of the SDS, Oglesby, in response to an editorial in the New Republic that accused the SDS of accepting communists into their ranks. I find this source truly puzzling because it presents several questions. Oglesby does not directly deny their accusations. He instead calls out the negativity of exclusion and the limitations it provides. This makes me wonder, in the Red Scare, how this statement would affect the anti-war movement as a whole. But also, it seems to not matter how it affects the movement, because the SDS seems willing to be disliked by the public. They do not care about their perception, because they have already accepted that in order to create change, they will have to be disliked by some people. This complete disregard of the accusations of being associated with communists seems to have been quite rare, which is why it confuses me. Additionally, this source interests me because Oglesby outright states that he will not refuse to love communists in the way that anti-communists do, because the SDS platform is built on love. Overall, I just find this source to have a very rare outlook that complicates my question of how media affected the anti-war movement. It makes me wonder if the media never influenced what the SDS did because they had already accepted that they would be disliked. If they were willing to use the word “love” and “communist” even in the same sentence and disregard the consequences, then is there really any way that outside influence could sway them from their ideology or plan for change?
POLICE AGAIN ROUT ‘VILLAGE’ YOUTHS: Outbreak by 400 Follows a Near-Riot Over Raid – https://www-proquest-com.ezpro.....B04189PQ/2
This source is from the New York Times, and written directly after the police raid of the Stonewall Inn. I expected – like many of the other newspaper articles I read during my research thus far – to frame the events of Stonewall around the violence from gay protestors towards police. Even the title of 4 POLICEMEN HURT IN ‘VILLAGE’ RAID: Melee Near Sheridan Square Follows Action at Bar, another source I analyzed, depicts the protestors of the Stonewall Inn gay bar as the perpetrators. What I find puzzling about POLICE AGAIN ROUT ‘VILLAGE’ YOUTHS is that although the article shows the ‘riots’ started by protestors, it has critical undertones of the police officers as well: “A number of people who did not retreat fast enough were pushed and shoved along, and at least two men were clubbed to the ground.” Having a piece in the media not solely blame the protestors for unnecessary violence was something I didn’t anticipate, as most perspectives in larger society on gay people and the gay rights movement were completely negative. What would be the motivation of the author to assert such connotations into his piece?
Memorable Lines
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One memorable line that stuck out to me was the mayor saying to the chief that “It works out all the way around, Bill, for all of us.” He was speaking in regard to letting Virgil stay on the case, and it was particularly interesting because it demonstrates how willing they are to use Virgil for their own benefit. I thought it was ironic that the mayor said it works out for all of them when they know that Virgil will likely get nothing out of this and is potentially putting himself in danger.
I found the interaction between Endicott and Tibbs at the plantation to be very captivating, especially when Endicott questioned Tibbs if he had a favorite plant, and Tibbs responded with any epiphytic. Endicott was surprised and clarified to Tibbs that “like the Negro, [epiphytics] need care and feedin’ and cultivatin’ and that takes time.” This simile between the plant and Black people, especially given the historical setting, served as a shock factor to the viewer and also emphasizes the invariable, racist mindset of certain individuals during the period.
Focal Scenes
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One scene that I found memorable was around 59:35. Virgil and Gillespie are driving past the cotton field to get to the greenhouse and they see then black men and women working in the field. When Virgil looks at Gillespie after Gillespie made a comment about the workers, you can really see how much Virgil was affected by seeing them. When one of the workers looks into the car, you can really see the difference between them and Virgil and further how different situations were in the North and South at the time.
The scene where Gillespie interrogates Virgil Tibbs on the murder of Enrico Mantoli really struck me as the first of many scenes which commentate on the racial climate of the sixties. When Gillespie refers to Virgil as a “prisoner,” Gillespie’s automatic assumptions and prejudices are obvious, and when he realizes that not only is Virgil from the North – by his use of “whom” – and a police officer, he has a moment of deep realization. The look on his face turns from one of superiority and content to one of unease. Even from the beginning of the movie, this depiction of racial bias and divisions between the North and the South are vivid.
Correction: they investigate the killing of COLBERT, not Enrico Mantoli (I forgot his name and looked it up – this is referring to a different In the Heat of the Night).
One scene I found particularly interesting was the interrogation scene between Chief Bill Gillespie and Detective Virgil Tibbs in the beginning of the film. Virgil istaken in for questioning after he is wrongly accused of being a murder suspect, and must prove his innocence to the chief, despite the fact that he was entirely innocent and only being interrogated because of his race. The tension in the scene is evident as the chief will not give Virgil even a tinge of respect, patronizing his grammar and insulting Virgil’s intelligence, as well as when he questions Virgil’s ability to have as much money as he does. The chief even turns on the air conditioner during this scene,upon learning that Virgil is also in the police force, which physically demonstrates the tense heat that fills the air between these two characters. This scene is crucial as it establishes the dynamic between these two characters and the racial conflict that stays present throughout the rest of the film, also reflecting the state of society during this time.
One scene I thought was particularly integral and stood out to me was the scene towards the beginning of the film in which Woods arrests Virgil. The way he treated him, demeaning him and talking down to him, while simultaneously treating him with the utmost suspicion despite there being no evidence that he did anything wrong, and having not even had a conversation with him before accusing him, was something that stood out to me for a number of reasons. It was eerily familiar to the way that people of color are treated far too often by police today, and the senselessness of it was infuriating to watch, although I wonder if it was received the same way when it came out.
One scene I found interesting was at 21:10, where Virgil is in the interrogation room, getting ready to leave. Gillespie, already rejecting Virgil’s offer to help him to solve the murder, ironically asks Virgil to help him solve the case. Virgil rightfully rejects, for not only will he miss his train, but who would want to work with someone who does not respect him as a person or his services? As he is about to leave, Gillespie furiously calls Virgil, saying, “They pay you $162.39 a week just to look at bodies. Why can’t you look at this one?” What is funny is that Gillespie was mocking Virgil for his pay, thinking it was unbelievable that someone like Virgil was making a lot of money. This scene is focal because it shines a bright light onto the racist persona Gillespie holds towards the black race, as shown in many other moments in the movie.
When talking to the man at the flower garden, the man slaps Virgil across his face and within seconds, Virgil responds by slapping him right back. Afterwards, the chief says to Virgil, “You’re just like the rest of us.” This statement is representative of how Virgil views himself vs how everyone views Virgil. Virgil is headstrong and has no hesitation to slap the man because he sees him as an equal to them. Everyone’s response signifies that they are in shock that Virgil views himself as an individual when nobody else seems to. However, by seeing this slap and how persistent Virgil is to finish this case, the chief also seems to recognize that Virgil is also just like any other man, but not necessarily in the best way.
Themes
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Taking place just after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a major theme throughout the movie was the adjustment within society trying to integrate the change. As depicted within the movie, Sparta was still very much still very discriminatory and racist. A reoccurring motif is how the African American people in the town were still seen as lesser than and were depicted being treated just as they were during the height of American systemic racism: picking cotton. Despite his higher social standing due to his job, Tibbs was still seen as a lowly colored person to the population in Sparta, to whom he had to prove himself and his abilities. This point highlights one of the main points of the movie which is the racism and the overcoming of ones own premediated prejudice.
A key theme I noticed in this work is the theme of biased motives. This entire film is riddled with characters who all come from different perspectives and backgrounds. The most obvious biased motive would of course be the multiple characters that are driven by racism to harm Virgil. There are, however, other biased motives for why each character acts the way they do. For a time, Virgil gets fixated on proving Mr. Endicott is the culprit, later admitting to this bias as he finds evidence that points him in a different direction. Officer Wood is seen avoiding the street that the young girl lives on when Virgil asks for a retrace of his steps because Wood didn’t want anyone to find out about his relationship with the young girl. And of course Officer Gillespie is seen various times accusing people with little to no evidence simply because he wants to have this case wrapped up quickly. I would say, in addition to the more obvious theme of Black validation and this seemingly revolutionary concept that Black people are more than “things to be nurtured” as Endicott would put it, there is this theme of contradictory biases that drives the motives of every character in the film.
Historical Events, Controversies
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Life Magazine on the Selma-Mongomery March
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Life Magazine paints a picture of the south that directly coincides with the way in which In the Heat of the Night portrays the south. The Selma-Montgomery March was a series of protests that happened in Alabama in March of 1965. The protesters in the march were met with violence from state troopers in Alabama. Life Magazine supports the perceptions of the south that are illustrated in In the Heat of the Night by describing how Alabama made a “brutal show of force” when the “peaceful symbolic marches” were met with brutality from “troopers” (33). Life Magazine describes how people attacked the President by saying that he was prevented from “applying federal force” due to his “Southern heritage” (34). In the Heat of the Night directly follows the stereotypes of the south being exponentially more racially polarized and dangerous for those who supported Black Americans.
Life Magazine on the Watts Riots
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The way in which Shana Alexander from The Feminine Eye of LIFE Magazine depicts her “friends in Watts,” Stan Sanders, as a level headed, determined man, is very similar to the character of Virgil Tibbs in In The Heat of the Night. Even their backstories are alike: they were both raised in poorer, black-majority neighborhoods, and moved to the North, acclimating well to and becoming successful in Northern white society – from a more antiquated perspective, they are a symbol of the American Dream. Though Sanders and Tibbs both accidentally stumble into their difficult situations, they both function as men who even in the face of trial (which is largely a dangerous racial climate), can stand with their “characteristic Buddha-like composure” and work to solve the situations around them. I wouldn’t be surprised if In The Heat of The Night’s original source material based the character of Virgil Tibbs off of men similar to Stan Sanders, and although aspects of the movie are problematic, the overall portrayal of a black man like Virgil Tibbs was an important shift in media in the 1960s.
Life Magazine on Stokeley Carmichael
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Life Magazine’s coverage of Stokely Carmichael’s role in the SNCC draws a parallel to Virgil Tibbs’ role in In the Heat of the Night. Being a lesser-known key figure during the period, Carmichael, in some respects, mirrors the ambiguity of Tibbs to Gillespie. It was only as the movie/time progressed that the roles emerged and became clearer. Life encapsulated this perspective of Carmichael by acknowledging him as “an early admirer of nonviolence” who then “propelled to the center of the civil rights stage” (76A). Being a chairman and organizer for SNCC, Carmichael, 22 (when joining), was quickly assimilated into the position of an activist, revolutionizing the status quo of other young black advocates at the time. Within the movie, Tibbs’ successful background as a top homicide detective also isolates and elevates him from the standards, enabling both him and Stokely to serve as role models tackling widespread segregation. Likewise, similar to how Tibbs was hesitant on continuing the search for the killer of Colbert, Carmichael wanted to shift his focus away from SNCC to become more involved with “organizing Negro power blocs.” Overall, the similarities are established through not the specific actions each individual took but rather their response to the newfound environment in which they found themselves situated.
Adding onto Jonathan, Life Magazine piece of Stokely Carmichael also concentrates on his reluctance to work with the federal government on the path for blacks gaining equal rights. When pleading for blacks not to attend the Democratic Parties, he stated that “to participate was like asking a Jew to join the Nazi Party” (94). To Carmichael, although he believed in using nonviolent tactics to achieve human rights, he doesn’t want to associate with those within the government, whether state or federal. This belief, as Jonathan mentioned, is comparable to Virgil Tibbs’ initial response to Gillespie asking him for help, which he rejected. For them, it would be illogical to work alongside those who’ve participated in oppressing their people and leaving them in such a dreaded position. Why would one work with another who did not see them as equal value for some time? In conclusion, the reluctance to work with the ‘enemy’ draws Carmichael and Tibbs together much closer.
Renata Adler on Black Roles in Hollywood
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Adler closely examines Sydney Poitier and his role in the movie. She suggests that Sydney’s character of the “better educated, more intelligent, finer grained, better mannered” Black man has already expanded into a category of roles by itself.
I think this is an interesting implication that is rarely explored. It is clear that “In the Heat of the Night” went on to change the media’s portrayal of Black men, which can implicitly shape real life opinions. The idea that a movie could shift public opinion or even change how one household interacts with the world around them is astounding. I think that a movie like “In the Heat of the Night” is vitally important to broaden people’s perspectives on the way that Black people were forced to live. Adler states that other than movies, media in which black and white people interact simply doesn’t exist or is very hard to find. This shocked me but it also emphasized the importance of movies like “In the Heat of the Night” that work to normalize integration in a time when it still wasn’t accepted.
Overall, I agree with Adler’s idea that Black men had a unique role in Hollywood during this time, as they paved the way for something that had never been done before and were used almost to test the waters of public opinion in a tumultuous time.
Within the article, Adler highlights the role of black characters within media and the effect it has on society. In reference to the movie In The Heat Of The Night, Adler underscores the importance of the scene in which Tibbs slapping a white man. This scene was clearly very impactful as it created a sense of liberation, shock and relief to the black audience that watched the movie when it came out. It is fascinating to see how Adler describes Sydnie and his other roles, specifically how he tends to play a specific and unique archetype that will help move the media forward in their casting and creating of black characters. Seeing certain types of characters portrayed in media is critical for a growing and progressing society. This is seen even today with the expansion of representation in media. Characters and movies such as Virgil Tibbs and In The Heat Of The Night sets a precedent not only for future movies, but for people who may find themselves in situations even remotely alike that in the movie. A precedent for intellectual and wise black people.
In Adler’s article, I thought the discussion around Poltier’s character in In the Heat of the Night was really interesting. It claimed that the movie was important because it showed an intelligent, successful Black man as the main character, but even more so because Politier as the actor is a successful Black man in real life, as well. It then went on to talk about how the scene where Virgil Tibbs slaps the white man and again how it not only reflected a retaliation to the abuse Tibbs faces, but also to that of every other character Poltier had played. I thought this idea was interesting and it was something that I had not considered when I saw the scene in the movie. Additionally, I thought the point about the lack of representation for gentleness, love, and intelligence in the South can also pertain to today. Specifically, I have heard about some viewers and actors criticizing what are called “Black Pain movies”. These are movies centered around abuse and hardship towards Black characters and there has been a push to try and focus more on movies that display Black joy and love instead.
Adler’s article provided some important context and information for me as a viewer to think about the kinds of roles that Sidney Poitier usually played, and reflected on whether that was positive or negative in the long run in terms of his career and representation in the media, if he is playing roles that defy stereotypes, but the same roles every time, confining himself to being typecast in a different way. I thought this was really interesting context for me, as I’ve never seen anything else he’s been in, and it was interesting to read Adler’s commentary, as well as well-deserved praise for him as an actor. I also thought it was interesting to read a perspective from the time on the scene with the slap, because as someone from a more modern time I don’t think I quite grasped how importance of that scene to its entirety at the time it was released, and the article gave me a much better sense of that.
Renata Adler discusses the reality of the media perception/caricature of the black community, only including black characters as an accessory to help complicate the nuances of a white story. Because black stories had yet to receive the spotlight they deserve at this point in cinema history, the characters that do make the cut tend to be more one dimensional or lackluster in comparison to their white counterparts in the story, and usually perpetuate negative stereotypes rather than craft a new narrative. Renata writes of how misrepresentative these depictions are, as they do not offer any perspective into the reality of the “black men of great courage, intelligence, and gentleness working in the south”, instead reducing black representation to fictions created by white men to better form their own personal narrative.
This argument is particularly interesting because it connects the issue of systemic racism with the appreciation of media as an art form. Films are supposed to be based in reality to some extent, especially with films of this era that served to depict a distinct moment in history. By outright misrepresenting a key group in society, it brings shame to the artistry behind filmmaking, too. The deprivation of representation is the deprivation of art itself.
Aedler discusses the importance of film in regards to racial perspective by dissecting the population’s réponse and reaction to certain films. Aedler begins by stating that movies now will draw upon, “some of the experience, the personal and social history,” of the african american population. This signifies that with movies incorporating everyday and common occurrences of the lives of black and white individuals, these topics and occurrences will become less stigmatized and not seen as taboo.
Aedler contributes pieces of In the Heat of the Night such as when, “the enthusiasm for his smal act of violence also contains a string awareness of his real situation.” This promotes the idea that by including moments like this in film, these actions can be acknowledged by the audience and hopefully influence public opinion.
Puzzling Sources
if any, from your ongoing research
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Attachment bbp.pdf
This source is a song from the book “Fight on Sisters: and Other Songs for Liberation”. The contents of the song reflect the conflict between a man and a woman and their relationship and consent between the two. It depicts how women do not have the power to reject a mans desire and if they do then the man, feeling the need to maintain control over their power, will reject the woman: “he still wants to be the boss so he turns away”. The refrain specifically highlights the oppression of women by repeating “oh for the day when women get free, oh for the day when men accept it”. On the second page, it quotes two sources, one of which is from the Redstocking Manifesto. The quote from the manifesto outlines how the conflict between a man and a woman is not merely between the two, but is part of a deeper societal issue: “the conflicts between individual men and women are political conflicts”. The lyrics of the song and the contents of the Redstocking ideology go hand in hand as both sources identified the bigger underlying issue between the relationships of men and women. Yet what puzzles me is the creation of the song in the first place. The song is prefaced with “Every step forward brings a backlash or new problems to be tackled”. In such a society, what was the intention of highlighting this piece of the Redstocking manifesto along with the song? In what context was this song, along with the other songs in the book, recites and played? How did this song tackle the backlash felt from the feminist movement?
Attachment Liberated-Territory-Excerpt.pdf
The attachment is an excerpt from Liberated Territory: Untold Local Perspectives on the Black Panther Party, which addresses Malcolm X’s upbringing, his famous speeches, and his relationship with the Black Panthers. Although it describes X’s intentions well, I find the influence that Detroit had on Malcolm X puzzling. The city served as the core birthplace for The Ballot or the Bullet, one of those two famous speeches he delivered, with the other being Message to the Grassroots. Additionally, there were outside influences that inspired and enabled Malcolm to achieve his level of recognition. James and Grace Lee Boggs, longtime radical activists, provided X with “a platform from which to speak.” The success within the city continued posthumously, where the Autobiography of Malcolm X served as “a kind of bible in the Detroit underground” for the Panthers. I previously already knew that the speeches were given in Detroit, but discovering the impacts that are associated with this city propels me to discover more sources that extract supplementary details on the intersection between Malcolm X and Detroit. Based on this striking information, were there additional individuals, parties, or locations that had a greater impact on Malcolm X’s role during the 1960s than first perceived?
Attachment community.28034132.pdf
This source is a newspaper article from Black Unity. The front page of the article states in big, block letters “WE WANT ALL BLACK PEOPLE TO BE EXEMPT FROM MILITARY SERVICE”. It goes on to assert that they will not engage in a war with other people of color who are fighting the same oppressive structures that they are. It also adds that they will use “whatever means necessary” to fight racist police and racist military. There is one segment later on that discusses a “unity band”, which is a band to be worn in military service as a subtle way to take back power and unity and to protest the war in Vietnam. After these segments that give off a strong anti-military impression, the article goes on to say that Black people need to take back military power, because of their lack of political and economic power. It poses the idea of revolution and hails military power as the number one way to fight oppression and take back rights. At first this was very confusing to me. The first half of the article talked about the reason why Black men should not have to fight in the war and how they can show solidarity with the anti-war movement. Then she second half posed military power as the answer, even over economic and political power?
Attachment Norman-Mailer.pdf
This source is a news article from the Washington Post covering a panel of Women’s Liberation advocates moderated by Norman Mailer, a prominent adversary of Women’s Liberation and many of their goals and values (such as birth control and equal devision of housework). The article itself was interesting in that it highlighted the back and forth between the two groups, Mailer and the panelists, but I left with more questions that answers as to how this event came to be, and the motivations behind it on both sides. Why did Mailer agree to moderate a panel about something he was so opposed to? For the sake of being given a platform to state his arguments to a new audience? Who chose to have him serve as moderator, when that was clearly not a role suited to him given the nature of his beliefs and the topics of the panel, as was seen in the coverage of the event (his joining and spurring much of the discussion and debate)? What were the feelings of the women who did choose to stay on the panel with him (many women refused or backed out)?
Attachment
This chart displays the smoking prevalence throughout the 1900s. These trends prompted a lot of questions that I would like to look further in. For example, there is a steady increase, with the occasional dips, until 1960. What prompts this increase? Is it marketing, more availability, societal trends? Additionally when the Surgeon’s report is issued. There is an immediate dip however, it raises to just as much as it was prior to the report. As a result, what caused this incline?
Attachment No-More-Fun-and-Games.pdf
This source is a feminist zine called “No More Fun and Games”, which is absolutely rich in content. This is a mixed media zine (art/graphics, poetry, articles, etc.) which is exactly the kind of source I am primarily looking for in my research, and because the content is so artistic, it leaves plenty of room to analyze and dig into. I was especially drawn to the artwork on page 19 (pdf), which depicts the back of a man’s head in a high contrast black & white photo, with an “off” switch on the back of his head, paired with collaged magazine letters that read “click,”. One can assume that the print is an abstract depiction of the inhumanity of racial dynamics, and how many whites viewed black people as workers above people, that could be turned on and off whenever they needed to be productive.
While one can make inferences right off the bat about what this refers to, there are still countless questions that resonate. What connection does this piece have with the neighboring installments in the zine (a short story called “The Trip” and an informal statement) – what was the significance of this placement in the zine? Was there a distinct event/story that prompted this?
This source is a press conference of Eugene “Bull” Connor. As the Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham, Alabama, he heavily opposed the Civil Rights Movement. In this conference, he starts with a frequent controversial statement, saying that “you’ve got to keep the white and the black separate!” already showing his glaring racism. Then what’s interesting is when he says: “let the law enforcement and the governor of Alabama handle this thing.” Here he believes that the Civil Rights Movement is a small problem that Alabama can handle. But there are two problems with such a mindset. The first is that Connor does not realize that law enforcement and the governor are a part of the problem. They continuously enforce unfair laws that keep the black community oppressed, which provokes them to fight against such maltreatment. The second problem is that the Civil Rights Movement is much greater than Birmingham. It is a national movement in which many states have come together to fight against the unfair laws that Connor himself is enforcing.
Attachment
This page out of a publication titled “The Rag,” features many claims that mainstream articles at the time would dispute. This publication showcases one of the only images I was able to find of Alex Rackley, speculates that the tape used throughout the New Haven Trials very well may have been faked, and discusses how medical examinations could’ve been used for some of the accused to make this a more fair trial. It’s not necessarily puzzling for the Panthers, but would be puzzling compared to the mainstream coverage of the trials and would show the scope of the issue, as this publication was coming out of Austin Texas.