Start Date
13-12-2022 6:00 PM
End Date
13-12-2022 6:05 PM
Description
The 1930s marked an increase in Black representation in Hollywood, but these roles often evoked racist stereotypes. Many of these performances are still available to watch, leaving them as the main legacy through which these actors are remembered. I will research the lives of prominent Black actors during the 1930s, examining their careers, personal lives, notable performances, and how these roles were perceived by the white and Black audiences of the time. I will use this information to create a historically informed screenplay that documents a fictional Black actress during the 1930s. Through this story, I seek to amplify these actors’ stories, capturing their lives and their agency beyond the racist stereotypes they portrayed.
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More than the Movie: Black Actors’ Agency in 1930s Hollywood
The 1930s marked an increase in Black representation in Hollywood, but these roles often evoked racist stereotypes. Many of these performances are still available to watch, leaving them as the main legacy through which these actors are remembered. I will research the lives of prominent Black actors during the 1930s, examining their careers, personal lives, notable performances, and how these roles were perceived by the white and Black audiences of the time. I will use this information to create a historically informed screenplay that documents a fictional Black actress during the 1930s. Through this story, I seek to amplify these actors’ stories, capturing their lives and their agency beyond the racist stereotypes they portrayed.
