BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975

In this day and age of continued racism, police brutality, and blatant profiling, something as profound as The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is STILL a necessity.  I'm from that school of the black fist raised high and proudly, symbolizing strength in a race and color that continually fights for equality, even with President Barack Obama at the helm.  Showcased at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011, this collection of archival footage featured revolutionary rhetoric from the likes of Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Kathleen Cleaver, Huey P. Newton, Stokely Carmichael, and others.  Hip hop heads such as Talib Kweli and Erykah Badu also spoke on the ills that affected the masses.  Giving it spin of it being a mixtape, and being scored by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Om'mas Keith, you get the picture of how a movement forty years ago is still relevant to this day.  The footage was discovered in the basement of a Swedish television station after decades of being in the dark.  Watching this historic footage on 16mm film gives it that feel of grimy, gritty times in the 1960's and 1970's.

Goran Hugo Olsson is the responsible party for comprising The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, putting together a film that will stand the test of time undoubtedly.  With civil unrest occurring close to home in smaller locales such as Cambridge to larger urban areas like Baltimore, this film brought the images front and center for everyone.  Even in 2012, the climate of this film can still be felt far and wide, with unrest seemingly at every turn within Black America.  In the midst of the Trayvon Martin saga, watching this film will reaffirm that the struggle continues, and we all need to do our collective parts to alleviate those struggles.  Even outside of Black culture, this film has much importance for ALL segments of the population.


Watch this trailer of The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, and be sure to cop the movie online or in physical format (if possible).  Special thanks to Okayplayer for being a catalyst in making the hip hop community aware of this very important piece of documentary.  BLACK POWER!