The Black Power Mixtape 1967 - 1975

Last night we saw The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 at the Music Box Theatre and I can't stop thinking about it. The film is a compilation of footage found in the basement of a Swedish television station that follows the evolution of the Black Power Movement in the United States. Each year in the mixtape presents a series of interviews, ethnographic images of the black community and commentary from present-day black thinkers like writer Robin Kelley and musician Talib Kweli. 

My only complaint about the film is that—like every black-themed film you'll see in theaters—it characterizes the black American experience by trauma and uplift. I was hoping the unconventional structure of the film would lead to a more imaginative, nuanced view of the black radical tradition. That being said, it's a good film and I recommend checking it out. 

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is playing at the Music Box Theatre through Sunday.