Independent Lens Season 20 Episode 10 Black Memorabilia

Independent Lens is a documentary television series that highlights independent documentary films. Season 20 episode 10 is titled "Black Memorabilia" and touches on a topic that many have overlooked for a long time. The episode explores the complex history of racially themed memorabilia that has been produced, promoted, and collected from the late 1800s to the present day.

Black Memorabilia is a fascinating episode that presents the darker side of America's popular culture and how it has perversely exploited racism dating back to the days of slavery and Jim Crow. The show features interviews with a wide range of experts, historians, collectors, and activists, including artist and writer E. Ethelbert Miller, co-founder of the African American Literature Book Club, Dr. David Pilgrim, and black Americana collector, Adina Backiel.

The show examines the phenomenon of collecting historical objects that embody an era of racial intolerance, such as mammy figures, Sambo images, and other memorabilia. At the same time, it takes a closer look at how owning such artifacts appears bizarre, yet complicated ownership can be for some communities.

The episode draws from history to illustrate the origins of stereotypes and racist propaganda that created demand for caricatures of black people and how such works are anathematic to black heroism and autonomy. The collectors interviewed during the show explain black memorabilia's deep emotional ties and how the collection helps them keep a historical record. In this way, the episode poses a central question, "Are the historical objects really worth collecting or should society denounce them altogether?"

The piece touches on the emotional and psychological impact of owning or disposing of Black Memorabilia. Viewers witness people who have grown up with these artifacts, selling them or donating them to museums, expressing regrets about past comfort with them, while others choose to keep items that may seem controversial or threatening to others.

Black Memorabilia also emphasizes how the depictions of blackface and the rise of minstrelsy have had a more significant impact structurally, particularly in the media. The episode explores the relationship between blackface and black music, and how the music genre commodified the regressive images that it once denounced.

Furthermore, the show illustrates the conflict museum members face when they consider the display of such memorabilia. Ethically, many museum officials feel it's wrong to display negative stereotypes of black people, but others feel it's imperative to highlight elements of America's sordid past to educate people about the level of damage such objects have caused through the years.

In summary, Black Memorabilia is a thoughtful and enlightening piece that grapples with the ugly legacy of racism and how it has manifested in America's popular culture. The show discovers how pervasive and destructive racist memorabilia has been and continues to be in America. It invites viewers to delve into an under-discussed topic that offers a deeper understanding of modern-day racism. The episode is a must-watch for educators, museum officials, history enthusiasts, as well as individuals seeking to understand how black history has been distorted in popular culture over the years.