The Movie J. Edgar; Just More Hollywood Lies (tags)
While the movie J. Edgar ignores J. Edgar Hoover’s many successes in silencing American Blacks, leftists, and persecution of homosexuals, it starts out by “justifying” the 1919 Palmer Raids. J. Edgar Hoover’s involvement in the Palmer Raids was at the beginning of his long sordid history of carrying out political repression in the United States. The Palmer Raids, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer with J. Edgar Hoover on his staff, rounded up leftists including Anarchists, Communists, and Socialists for prison and deportation. Among the many crimes committed by the government, hundreds were deported, including Emma Goldman, a leading anarchist and U.S. citizen who was deported to the USSR, Socialist Party leader Eugene Debs was thrown in prison, and the young communist movement was driven underground.
“Nommogeneity” Explores African-American Poetry and Culture (tags)
It took two years to make and it's only 32 minutes long, but Terrence Stubbs’ film “Nommogeneity” is a powerful portrayal of cutting-edge African-American poetry and culture that's well worth seeing. Stubbs, a former stand-up comedian turned film student and TV producer, landed the legendary Amiri Baraka (shown reading his provocative 9/11 poem) as well as many younger African-American poets strongly influenced by him. The film — whose title comes from the twin gods in African mythology who brought humanity the gifts of language and writing — shows young poets working in a politically and socially conscious vein instead of writing “love jones” poems or odes to gangsterism and conspicuous consumption.
Oscar Grant Becomes a Poster Boy for Jihad (tags)
Those outside the Bay Area may not know the backstory: Early on January 1, a young adult African-American named Oscar Grant was fatally shot at a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) stop by a BART police officer. The incident was captured on a few cellphones as it happened. The officer has been arrested for murder and there have been several riots in downtown Oakland.