Black History Month :: Blog
Double Exposure: African American Music in Film
How do you capture the dynamism of live performance on a two-dimensional screen? In celebration of Black History Month, the Rock Hall will present a special film series, “Double Exposure: African American Music on Film,” highlighting the central role of African Americans in the history of rock and roll. We’ve chosen films that cover a wide range of musical styles, from the from gospel pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe (The Godmother of Rock and Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe) to soulman Curtis Mayfield (Movin’ On Up: The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions) to hip-hop innovators Run-D.M.C. (Krush Groove). Each film features legendary performers, including many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The films also reflect historical and cultural changes in African-American culture during the rock and roll era. We’ll have special introductions and discussions to some of the films by guest scholars, producers, filmmakers and Rock Hall Education staff. All of these movies will be screened in the Rock Hall’s state-of-the-art Foster Theater and are free with a reservation.
The month will also include a class in the Rock Hall’s K-12 program, Rockin ...
Rock Hall kicks off Black History Month with Double Exposure: African-American Music on Film
As I was finalizing our films for this year’s Black History Month celebration, Double Exposure: African-American Music on Film, I got an email from Mick Csaky, the producer and director of a new film documentary about legendary gospel start Sister Rosetta Tharpe that was broadcast on BBC television in January. But Mick wasn’t checking to see if we could screen the film---he didn’t even know we were doing a film series. He was writing to make his case that Sister Rosetta should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His film, The Godmother of Rock & Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe is a powerful summary of her career, featuring blistering live performances where she displays her guitar prowess and mastery of the stage. He graciously gave us permission to screen the film, which we did this week to kick off our film series.
Gayle Wald, author of a fantastic biography of Sister Rosetta, Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, joined us for the evening. Gayle is chair of the Department of English at George Washington University, where she teaches courses on African American literature, popular music, and U.S. culture ...
