Black studies emerged from the tumultuous social and civil rights movements of the 1960s and empowered African Americans to look at themselves in new ways and pass on a dignified version of Black history. However, it also enriched traditional disciplines in profound and significant ways. Proponents of Black and ethnic studies confronted the false notion that scholarly investigations were objective and unbiased explorations of the range of human knowledge, history, creativity, artistry, and scientific discovery. As they protested against hegemonic notions like "universal" psychology and re-evaluated canonical texts in literature, a new model of academic inquiry evolved: one committed to serving a range of populations, that critiqued traditional politics, culture, and social affairs, and worked with activist energy for the transformation of the existing social order.
With an all-star cast of contributors, "The Black Studies Reader" takes on the history and future of this multi-faceted academic field. Topics include Black feminism, cultural politics, Black activism, lesbian and gay issues, African American literature and film, education, and religion. This authoritative collection takes a critical look at the current state of Black studies and speculates on where it may go from here.

Black women film and video makers have been producing shorts, documentaries and films since the early part of this century. Unfortunately, not only has their work been overlooked by distributors, but critical reviews have been few and far between. Conceived to redress that omission, Black Women Film and Video Artists is the first comprehensive history and analysis of this genre.
Gathered here are noted scholars and critics, as well as the film/video makers themselves who offer insight into the work of underexplored artists. The discussions range from pioneering to contemporary film makers and include artists such as Madeline Anderson, Monica Freeman, Jacqueline Shearer, Kathleen Collins, Julie Dash, Camille Billops, Zeinabu Irene Davis, and Michelle Parkerson, among others.

Black Studies emerged from the tumultuous social and civil rights movements of the 1960s and empowered African Americans to look at themselves in new ways and pass on a dignified version of Black history. However, it also enriched traditional disciplines in profound and significant ways. With an all-star cast of contributors, the Black Studies Reader takes on the history and future of this multi-faceted academic field. Topics include Black Feminism, Cultural Politics, Black Activism, Lesbian and Gay Issues, African American literature and film, education, and religion. This authoritative collection takes a critical look at the current state of Black Studies and speculates on where it may go from here.

Bobo demonstrates that African-American women, as a separate interpretive community, view cultural products in a unique way. In interviews with black women, she examines their specific responses as spectators and consumers of films and novels, including "Waiting to Exhale, The Color Purple, " and "Daughters of the Dust."