UCLA Department of African American Studies invites you to attend the lecture series
“Black Lives Matter—Past, Present, and Beyond” featuring
Racquel Gates
Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, College of Staten Island, CUNY
Author, “Double Negative: The Black Image and Popular Culture”
speaking on
Resemblance, Representation, and Resonance in Black Film and Media
Friday, April 30, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. PDT
Live streaming via Zoom
The basic idea of “representation” – that onscreen images construct meaning – takes on particular urgency when those being represented have been historically ignored, or worse, grossly misrepresented, throughout history. Such is the case with Black representation in film and media. As a result, critics and scholars alike continue to theorize solutions to the thorny issues of representation. Though these conversations are not new, their centrality speaks to ongoing problems related to the images of women and minorities in the media. Yet how often are we actually talking about “resemblance” rather than representation? And how might we begin to consider questions about quality, taste, and emotional resonance? This talk contemplates these aspects of cinematic representation and argues that such a shift offers new possibilities for Black cinematic engagement.
