Speaker: 00:00:00

Starting from my immediate left here.

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Over here

we have Vernard James and Vernard is a

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young local filmmaker

who graduated from DeSales University.

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He had a couple works

that won the prestigious Duffy

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Award for best overall overall film

two years in a row at DeSales.

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And he loves to write, direct and edit

films and volunteer at his church.

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So welcome, Vernard.

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To his left we have Andrew McIntosh.

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If you got here early

and you heard him spinning records.

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He goes by DJ ARM 18 as well.

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But, besides his skills on the turntable,

he is a professor of sociology

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at Northampton Community College,

the Monroe campus.

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His philosophy is “each one teach one”.

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And, and he's also taught at Lehigh and,

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he has done so much for the culture

around the Lehigh Valley.

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Recently, earlier this year, he brought

Chuck D to the campus of Northampton

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Community College, gave an amazing speech,

he brought the Cold Crush Brothers here.

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And we did a showing Wild Style,

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and I can go on and on, but,

welcome, Andrew McIntosh.

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Thank you.

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And to his left, we have Ali Akarcesme.

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He is a professor at Kutztown University.

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He has produced and directed socially

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conscious TV documentaries, short

narrative films.

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His film “Departures” led him to win

Best drama and Best director

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in New York at the prestigious film

festival in New York,

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and, we are thrilled to have him.

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He's a professor of film

studies at Kutztown so

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welcome, Ali.

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And then,

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we had met BooGie earlier,

but he was also a sociology

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major back at Rider university,

which is where me Boogie and

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and DynoWright had met

and we stayed great friends all this time.

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So BooGie will be moderating the panel.

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Thank you. JB.

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So, we've heard the introductions

of our panelists.

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We want to just kind of jump

right into it,

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and we want to kind of

have a bit of a conversation.

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So similar to a question out there,

one of the topics

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that this film talks about

is systemic inequality.

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So posed this how does the film portrays

systemic inequalities

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affecting Black communities

in South Central Los Angeles?

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What specific institutions,

including education,

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policing, healthcare or higher education,

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that has contributed

to these inequalities?

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And I'm just kind of going to go from,

you know, from our right to left,

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so we’ll start off with you, Vernard.

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(I think it's on.) Okay,

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for thanks for having me, but, yeah.

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I mean,

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LA is a character in this movie,

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you know, like, it's

it's living and breathing and

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and so every character's, like,

interacting with it.

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This thing, you know, as a character

in of itself and everyone you see,

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for better or worse, is a product of,

just, kind of the urban decay.

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But, there's a lot to go on,

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in South Central and, I mean,

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systemic, you just see,

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I think one of the really cool things

this show is,

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okay, not cool, but like

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one of the details is like, how

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when they're taking the city, like,

all the characters

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or all the people taking the test,

or like, minorities

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or the administrators or white ones

in the room, that that was interesting.

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And then obviously you

have a more like obvious,

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example like the the

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cop who hates his own kind so much.

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It's just coming out of him

how much he was,

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where he is

and what he does and everything about it.

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And he's decided

to take all this power trip

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job. So.

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I really like what

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you're saying about LA as a character.

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I was thinking as we're watching it.

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So the old school films, we've,

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we've shown you guys and put on,

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“Wild Style”, “Krush Groove”,

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“Juice” , they were all in New York City

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and they were in,

you know, Gotham, a metropolis.

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And then we watched House Party,

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you know,

which begins to have this suburban vibe.

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And the striking thing about South Central

is that in a lot of ways, it's laid out

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like the suburbs, but all the things

that you're speaking about

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and I spoke about,

there's these elements of, systemic

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racism present most clearly in

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that moment where, Furious

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talks

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about gentrification and, and,

you know, why?

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Why is it that, you know,

our hood is being depleted,

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purposely, like, ruined

and then blown out and flipped,

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you know, really striking

that that's talked about in 1991.

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So we know that that's

that's very much plagued our,

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our of many of our, our cities.

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And in the last 20 years.

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I think for me, it's,

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the establishment

and the contrast of three main characters

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from the writing perspective as Tre, Ricky

and the Doughboy,

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in terms of the fate

of what really happened to them,

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what they really pursuing, like,

you know, Ricky's situation

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with the education, SAT, versus,

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the only one that seems to be is

having the survival as the Tre character.

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And there are different reasons

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in terms of his family

atmosphere, having a single father,

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I mean, having the father present

with them at all times, versus Doughboy.

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So there's a lot going on in terms of

that, aside from what everybody else said

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was especially

the African-American cop over there

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and the internalized racism

that was part of it.

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And the rest.

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I think the first thing that really,

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strike me, I guess, was,

these three different characters

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and their establishment

in terms of the writing structure

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and what they really

what really happened to them

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and how they responded to these,

to these tragic events or incidents.

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Thank you.

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So in your responses,

we actually touched on a few

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of the other topics that I have here.

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So you're

just going to go right into those as well.

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So we mentioned, family and masculinity.

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So what roles do fathers play in

shaping the characters, especially Tre?

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We have a touched on that a little bit

and how these Tre’s relationship

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with his father, Furious Styles compares

with other young men’s

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experiences in the community.

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Okay.

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I guess, it really Tre's interactions

with his father,

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as was really interesting for me as a

parent myself, I guess the presence of him

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being in there, despite the fact that,

you know, mother and father was divorced

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and you actually compare that

with Doughboy and what's really happening

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with Ricky, where, you know,

the single mother is in the picture, but,

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you know, the father figure is not there.

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So I guess that really plays a major role

in terms of helping Tre to say,

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let me out.

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Let me out in that car.

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So, you know, like,

that's a really big moment in the film

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that helps him,

I guess, be more fortunate in terms of,

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having him better opportunities

to navigate compared to the other two

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in that regard, although they also focus

on the idea of education in that film.

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So the presence of Father

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Figure is, as a, as a male role model,

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helps him, you know,

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go through, navigate through this,

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struggle, and survival. I,

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I have read that Singleton wrote

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that Furious Styles character of like,

based on his relationship with his father

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was very, influential in his life.

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And I have to admit that,

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it was, you know, this is the first time

I've seen it since it came out in ‘91.

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And he was driving me crazy when I was,

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whenever I was at that time, 17, 16, 17.

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I didn't notice it at all,

but it was driving me

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crazy that the mothers were portrayed

so negatively.

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Right.

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Doughboy, Chris's mother,

you know, is picking favorites.

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The other mother we see is a crackhead

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until the moment at the at the cafe.

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And Angela Bassett’s

character gets to sort of set

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Furious straight and say, you know,

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you're not doing anything

that you shouldn’t be doing

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and that mothers

have always been doing it.

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And so I was, I was I was almost like

relieved that Singleton remembered.

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Like, okay, we we get some sort of pushing

back and forth, but no doubt,

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it seemed like a really burning

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important piece of this movie was to place

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fathers, in a role of responsibility.

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How important that is.

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Yeah,

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I think it's interesting the

I could be wrong,

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but I believe the only other father

you see is Ricky.

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Obviously with his infant.

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And there's obviously

just something about the contrast

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between time periods and, his son,

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his relationship

with his young father, who, you know, is

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really just trying to pick up the pieces

and figure out what he's going to do.

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He knows that he's going to do something,

but he just doesn't know exactly what.

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And then, of course, he's on

who is caught in the crossfire.

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So there really is nothing to do with, so

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yeah, I think yeah, it I

this is the first time

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I've seen this in a while,

as I was being more. But,

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sorry, but, Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I mean, the intentionality of John

Singleton

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just with the characterizations is, is.

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So it's right there.

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It's beautiful.

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Yeah. One thing that I noticed was the,

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how Ricky's

character was taken out in the film.

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It left his son without a father.

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So it's like the continuation of a cycle.

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You kind of.

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I think that was intentional

as well, for him to put that in there.

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So, you know, it was the father's race.

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You know, the son is going to probably

go down the same path, unfortunately.

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Which kind of brings us to our

our next topic.

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How does Singleton portray,

explore of the roots and impacts

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of gang violence on both individuals

and the community as a whole?

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Yeah, I mean that for the movie.

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It just speaks for itself.

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It was so

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iconic in its portrayals of gang violence,

and obviously led to a string of films

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throughout the 90s

by Singleton and other, directors that,

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highlighted a lot of that senseless,

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senseless, almost systemic violence that,

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just place the streets and it's brutal.

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It's random.

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And I think that's the scariest part,

is that it's a random,

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you know, those dudes really had.

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No, I think they're supposed to be Bloods,

and it's kind of,

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like they're against, Ice Cube

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who's,

you know, but like, maybe Crip affiliated.

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But regardless, there is nothing that said

anything at all.

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Like, it was just random.

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And yet it applied

to everything that happened.

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And yeah, Ricky was wearing a blue jacket

when he got bumped into.

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Yeah. Yeah.

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So so I think you're right like they have

that the red car, the Bulls Also, yeah.

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And the cop did say like you look like

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Crenshaw Mafia.

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Yeah. Yeah. So also more questionable.

Yeah.

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So that checks out.

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So I mean, clothing.

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Yeah.

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It's it's bothersome

how matter of fact it is.

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And a testament to,

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you know, I think sometimes good

art makes you very uncomfortable.

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How you know, I found myself, you know,

Ice Cube in particular, but just all these

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friends, like, as matter of fact, is there

violence is the,

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you know, it's

the outright misogyny, etc., so casual.

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And yet there's something

kind of endearing between all of them.

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Like, you know,

you get this sense that they, they're,

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they're brotherhood,

bound by that violence.

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And as you say,

this becomes very influential

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in a lot of films

that roll out in the 90s.

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But I think

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that's the first time you've seen,

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you know, the last, like last time

in my memory, my, my, my understanding

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that, you see, kind of like

Black characters involved in this kind of,

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gangster ism, whatever.

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For lack of a better word

is in blaxploitation flicks in the 70s.

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And those can be very cartoonish.

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I mean, they serve a certain purpose,

but this was just

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these were kids, like.

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I mean, they're in high school,

and I think that that is that's the part

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that, I was really a very unsettled,

unsettling for me.

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Really. Where should I start?

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Is it's the I think the scene

with the billboard, right, where,

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Laurence Fishburne’s character is talking

about the gentrified Asian

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also deals with this

in terms of what's happening in the corner

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of the neighborhoods with liquor stores

and, having access to guns.

248

00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:56,833

And all of those things

are definitely there.

249

00:13:56,833 --> 00:13:59,333

That's a very, very important scene,

I think. d d.

250

00:13:59,333 --> 00:14:04,250

And we could color different things by analyzing that particular scene over there.

251

00:14:06,375 --> 00:14:07,916

It's interesting that the film starts

252

00:14:07,916 --> 00:14:11,666

with the stop sign, and you guys notice

that it's starts with the stop sign.

253

00:14:11,708 --> 00:14:12,833

There's like a big focus,

254

00:14:12,833 --> 00:14:16,416

like it's almost like the filmmaker John

Singleton is showing that in our eyes.

255

00:14:16,708 --> 00:14:19,125

And I noticed that

when I was watching this time.

256

00:14:19,125 --> 00:14:22,375

There are other moments in the film

where they focus on the stop sign.

257

00:14:22,916 --> 00:14:23,916

I don't know,

258

00:14:23,916 --> 00:14:27,833

you could read it in different ways, but

it's like about the lack of opportunities.

259

00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:30,291

What is it?

You gotta be an athlete or a rapper.

260

00:14:30,291 --> 00:14:31,833

You're really successful.

261

00:14:31,833 --> 00:14:35,541

And think about what Ricky was going

through with safety and education,

262

00:14:36,041 --> 00:14:38,875

looking at the

the ads of the army, the military.

263

00:14:38,875 --> 00:14:39,958

There a lot of things.

264

00:14:39,958 --> 00:14:42,583

This this film is really

deep, guys. It's really deep.

265

00:14:45,208 --> 00:14:47,333

Yeah. So

266

00:14:47,333 --> 00:14:51,083

once again, we're kind of touching on

some of the other topics that I have.

267

00:14:51,625 --> 00:14:54,750

So let's just kind of,

let's talk about gentrification

268

00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,000

since that's the one that keeps coming up.

269

00:14:58,208 --> 00:15:00,708

This,

this for many was probably the first time

270

00:15:00,708 --> 00:15:03,958

that the term was used in a film,

and it was introduced by Laurence.

271

00:15:03,958 --> 00:15:06,958

Fishburne's character Furious Styles.

272

00:15:07,250 --> 00:15:09,500

How how does that resonate with you?

273

00:15:09,500 --> 00:15:11,541

And how do you see this

around your communities?

274

00:15:11,541 --> 00:15:13,375

And do you have some examples?

275

00:15:13,375 --> 00:15:15,250

I mean, for my for myself,

276

00:15:15,250 --> 00:15:19,041

my my cell phone is always going off

with someone trying to buy my house.

277

00:15:19,041 --> 00:15:20,208

I live in Newark, New Jersey

278

00:15:20,208 --> 00:15:22,041

in the middle of the hood

for those of you who want to know,

279

00:15:22,041 --> 00:15:25,500

but my phone is always going off

with someone trying to buy my house so

280

00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:27,791

I know exactly what he was talking about

with that.

281

00:15:27,791 --> 00:15:29,750

You know, we we buy houses for cash.

282

00:15:31,791 --> 00:15:32,250

Yeah.

283

00:15:32,250 --> 00:15:34,375

I mean, I'm from Allentown,

born and raised.

284

00:15:34,375 --> 00:15:38,000

And it's funny,

like, the first time I saw this,

285

00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,500

I must have been a high school,

286

00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:43,458

and I didn't really know

what gentrification was like.

287

00:15:43,458 --> 00:15:46,333

I'd heard the word,

but I didn't really have an understanding.

288

00:15:46,333 --> 00:15:49,958

And now, as soon as I even hear that word,

I think it's Seventh Street,

289

00:15:49,958 --> 00:15:52,958

you know, to, in the way that they've

290

00:15:54,416 --> 00:15:55,958

entirely gentrified,

291

00:15:55,958 --> 00:16:00,541

you know, that area with the PPL Center

and the new apartments and everything.

292

00:16:00,541 --> 00:16:03,750

And I like I remember

my friends were joking about it like,

293

00:16:04,250 --> 00:16:07,500

you know, there was a time not

too long ago where you could not walk down

294

00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:10,583

the streets like past a certain hour,

and now it's like,

295

00:16:11,291 --> 00:16:14,500

live and hopping and everything's going on

296

00:16:14,500 --> 00:16:19,708

and it's right in front of us,

you know, it's not just downtown, but

297

00:16:20,666 --> 00:16:24,125

all over the valley is, aspects of it.

298

00:16:24,583 --> 00:16:27,208

It's it's accessible

to only those who have the means.

299

00:16:27,208 --> 00:16:28,375

Right.

300

00:16:28,375 --> 00:16:32,541

We didn't solve any of those problems

that made Seventh Street dangerous.

301

00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:34,250

Right.

302

00:16:34,250 --> 00:16:37,250

But it sure looks nice.

303

00:16:40,208 --> 00:16:41,208

My issue, like,

304

00:16:41,208 --> 00:16:44,416

the thing about gentrification

and redlining,

305

00:16:44,416 --> 00:16:48,791

as someone who teaches Intro to sociology

and a class on American history and race,

306

00:16:49,375 --> 00:16:51,791

my humble opinion

307

00:16:51,791 --> 00:16:55,458

is the the great gains

that were made by the civil

308

00:16:55,458 --> 00:16:58,458

rights movement and the passage

in the 1964 civil rights law.

309

00:16:59,083 --> 00:17:04,125

Very much has made,

the America that we, we have experienced

310

00:17:04,125 --> 00:17:07,125

over the last 50 plus years

that the gains that we've had,

311

00:17:07,583 --> 00:17:10,041

the, the way in which, you know,

312

00:17:10,041 --> 00:17:13,416

I look at the panel, right, like there's

just a variety of, of different people

313

00:17:13,416 --> 00:17:17,125

coming together was in large part

because of those efforts.

314

00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,541

It also can be true that redlining and,

315

00:17:21,541 --> 00:17:26,666

gentrification practices,

systematically and purposely,

316

00:17:27,458 --> 00:17:30,666

if you will, invested

in particular Black communities.

317

00:17:30,666 --> 00:17:32,541

So the gains that we may have made

318

00:17:32,541 --> 00:17:35,541

socially

and culturally were not made materially.

319

00:17:35,750 --> 00:17:38,500

And, that is generational.

320

00:17:38,500 --> 00:17:41,625

And I think that's a big part

of this movie that he's tackling that

321

00:17:42,208 --> 00:17:44,250

certainly went over my head when I was 16.

322

00:17:44,250 --> 00:17:47,333

And I was like,

just fascinated with Cube and, you know,

323

00:17:47,333 --> 00:17:52,791

the hip hop soundtrack, was

Singleton is is really explaining how

324

00:17:54,208 --> 00:17:56,500

this, this, you know, South Central,

Compton,

325

00:17:56,500 --> 00:17:59,500

these communities

may look like suburban America,

326

00:17:59,583 --> 00:18:03,291

but they have been purposely

left out of the, the,

327

00:18:03,291 --> 00:18:06,291

the sort of underwriting, underwriting

and the support,

328

00:18:06,625 --> 00:18:09,083

with resources from a federal state,

329

00:18:09,083 --> 00:18:13,166

you know,

authorities and, and, and civic planners

330

00:18:13,541 --> 00:18:16,541

and it perpetuates itself,

331

00:18:16,708 --> 00:18:20,375

in, in a variety of, of pathologies

that you see where you end

332

00:18:20,375 --> 00:18:25,750

up, that Ali was saying just a moment ago,

like the kids growing up

333

00:18:25,750 --> 00:18:29,083

feel like they have so few options, right,

that,

334

00:18:29,083 --> 00:18:32,083

that, that are available to them.

335

00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:34,500

I think one of the things

336

00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:40,000

that really resonates even today,

how many years has it been since 1991?

337

00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,000

More than 30 years, right?

338

00:18:43,458 --> 00:18:47,458

That still makes this film resonant and

universal is the topic of gentrification.

339

00:18:47,458 --> 00:18:49,083

I think that's like one of the,

340

00:18:51,583 --> 00:18:53,375

you know, top ones that are out there.

341

00:18:53,375 --> 00:18:56,666

The idea of this,

342

00:18:56,666 --> 00:19:01,583

outsider, wealthier force

coming in and preying upon,

343

00:19:02,291 --> 00:19:05,416

Black communities

or other minorities, right?

344

00:19:05,416 --> 00:19:07,791

They actually do

show the Latino community.

345

00:19:07,791 --> 00:19:11,666

And then mention a little bit about the

Asian community here as well in the film.

346

00:19:12,458 --> 00:19:17,125

The interesting thing for me about

this is about it's it's foreshadowing.

347

00:19:17,541 --> 00:19:21,958

You know, how sometimes they say

this movie predicts the future?

348

00:19:21,958 --> 00:19:23,875

Oh, it tells what really happens. Okay.

349

00:19:23,875 --> 00:19:25,958

This earthquake happened

three years before.

350

00:19:25,958 --> 00:19:29,125

It happened in this exact same place

after that, whatever that is.

351

00:19:29,125 --> 00:19:29,833

Right.

352

00:19:29,833 --> 00:19:31,041

So it's really amazing

353

00:19:31,041 --> 00:19:36,000

to actually have this film foreshadowed,

especially with that scene with, Furious

354

00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,166

Styles telling,

which is about, you know, gentrification.

355

00:19:40,166 --> 00:19:45,666

The billboard scene is what I call it

is, still resonates with me today.

356

00:19:45,708 --> 00:19:46,750

It's really interesting.

357

00:19:48,833 --> 00:19:51,500

And I think

358

00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:54,750

the typical thing with this, it's

just reminded me of Harlem,

359

00:19:54,750 --> 00:19:59,666

reminded me of, I don't know, Brooklyn

or even Oakland in the West Coast.

360

00:20:00,958 --> 00:20:02,791

Absolutely. You go to Brooklyn.

361

00:20:02,791 --> 00:20:04,375

And I remember riding through Brooklyn.

362

00:20:04,375 --> 00:20:07,625

It was some neighborhoods

I used to call a neighborhood Duck Down,

363

00:20:07,625 --> 00:20:10,625

because it really felt like

you had to duck down right now.

364

00:20:10,791 --> 00:20:12,416

Yeah, East New York now.

365

00:20:12,416 --> 00:20:15,416

It's looks completely different.

366

00:20:16,708 --> 00:20:17,333

But yeah, we

367

00:20:17,333 --> 00:20:20,333

we definitely touched on this,

this last topic,

368

00:20:21,250 --> 00:20:22,416

which was education.

369

00:20:22,416 --> 00:20:26,208

And we saw some of that

with the SAT and etc..

370

00:20:26,625 --> 00:20:29,208

So how is education depicted

371

00:20:29,208 --> 00:20:32,208

as a means

for escaping the community struggles?

372

00:20:32,250 --> 00:20:35,000

How realistic is this portrayal given

373

00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,000

the characters’ situations?

374

00:20:38,833 --> 00:20:39,625

I personally

375

00:20:39,625 --> 00:20:43,416

believe that the characters

who really survive from this had something

376

00:20:43,416 --> 00:20:48,125

to do with education, like Tre's

character, Ricky was so close to it.

377

00:20:48,125 --> 00:20:49,166

He took a SAT

378

00:20:49,166 --> 00:20:52,791

and we see the score he just got

and what really unfortunately happened.

379

00:20:53,333 --> 00:20:57,833

And Furious Styles,

I'm not sure about his education

380

00:20:57,875 --> 00:21:02,333

level in the film that was portrayed, but

they kept saying how much he's reading.

381

00:21:02,750 --> 00:21:04,166

So that's part of. Yeah.

382

00:21:04,166 --> 00:21:06,750

They kept saying like,

he reads a lot. He reads a lot.

383

00:21:06,750 --> 00:21:10,625

Your dad is deep, your dad, is he,

is he a preacher or something?

384

00:21:10,625 --> 00:21:13,291

Right. They were talking about

all of those things.

385

00:21:13,291 --> 00:21:15,333

I kind of see that again.

386

00:21:15,333 --> 00:21:16,250

Back to the idea.

387

00:21:16,250 --> 00:21:19,291

I just I look at it from a filmmaker

perspective as well.

388

00:21:19,291 --> 00:21:22,375

I guess the character establishment,

the character

389

00:21:22,583 --> 00:21:26,375

traits of these,

you know, iconic ones in this film.

390

00:21:26,750 --> 00:21:29,750

And those two have a lot

to do with education.

391

00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,541

That's that's

the first thing that comes to my mind.

392

00:21:34,166 --> 00:21:37,708

So, yeah, this is a tough one for me.

393

00:21:40,333 --> 00:21:41,875

I hope

I don’t sound like I have some sort of,

394

00:21:41,875 --> 00:21:45,041

like, problem with self-loathing

as a professor myself.

395

00:21:45,041 --> 00:21:48,041

But, you know,

I tell my students, don't ever let

396

00:21:48,625 --> 00:21:51,625

their schooling

get in the way of their education.

397

00:21:52,958 --> 00:21:54,291

I am at this,

398

00:21:54,291 --> 00:21:58,166

and I'm, I'm by myself

and particularly at a moment where,

399

00:21:58,166 --> 00:22:03,500

and I try to keep focus on the movie,

you watch this movie and,

400

00:22:03,666 --> 00:22:08,458

education becomes this,

like magic wand in which only.

401

00:22:08,458 --> 00:22:11,666

Tre is the only character

that is able to access it.

402

00:22:12,208 --> 00:22:15,416

And ideally, he lives happily ever after.

403

00:22:15,416 --> 00:22:18,416

And I think that kind of,

404

00:22:18,625 --> 00:22:23,000

that kind of, sort of societal norm

born from this, like neoliberalism, like,

405

00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,375

if everybody could just educate, then

we can just let the market do its thing.

406

00:22:26,375 --> 00:22:29,041

And you work hard and and you succeed.

407

00:22:29,041 --> 00:22:31,583

And I don't know about the rest of you,

but it's just

408

00:22:31,583 --> 00:22:35,250

I'm at a particular moment

where I'm like, yes, Tre

409

00:22:36,750 --> 00:22:37,708

succeeds.

410

00:22:37,708 --> 00:22:38,291

And that's the

411

00:22:38,291 --> 00:22:41,666

story that my college is going to slap up

on the front of their catalog.

412

00:22:42,291 --> 00:22:43,250

What about Doughboy?

413

00:22:43,250 --> 00:22:44,333

What about Chris?

414

00:22:44,333 --> 00:22:47,583

Like, I feel that we have left

415

00:22:47,875 --> 00:22:50,750

whole swaths of our population behind,

416

00:22:50,750 --> 00:22:53,791

by this, overemphasis on higher

417

00:22:53,791 --> 00:22:57,541

ed in our society over the last, five,

418

00:22:57,583 --> 00:23:00,583

you know,

three to 3 or 4 decades in particular

419

00:23:00,666 --> 00:23:04,166

that leaves so many people alienated

420

00:23:04,416 --> 00:23:07,208

and creates this level of stratification

between

421

00:23:07,208 --> 00:23:09,958

the educated and the uneducated.

422

00:23:09,958 --> 00:23:12,958

That is, that drives

a lot of the polarity,

423

00:23:13,083 --> 00:23:16,625

polarity that I think,

we're seeing in our society.

424

00:23:16,625 --> 00:23:21,541

So that's not to say

I don't believe in what the work we,

425

00:23:21,541 --> 00:23:25,666

I do as a professor is, is important,

but I think we need

426

00:23:25,666 --> 00:23:29,666

more dynamic approaches

to addressing social inequality.

427

00:23:29,666 --> 00:23:32,666

Other than I didn't go to college,

go to college.

428

00:23:32,750 --> 00:23:35,541

And so I was kind of struck

by that, watching a movie,

429

00:23:37,750 --> 00:23:38,166

Yeah.

430

00:23:38,166 --> 00:23:41,166

Yeah, that's a word.

431

00:23:41,750 --> 00:23:44,000

I wanted to find a way to work this

in somehow.

432

00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,000

And, but, John Singleton,

433

00:23:47,291 --> 00:23:51,125

wrote wrote the screenplay for, Boyz n

the Hood

434

00:23:51,125 --> 00:23:56,041

as his senior thesis, project

when he was going to USC.

435

00:23:56,583 --> 00:23:59,583

Of course, he got an A-plus on it And

436

00:24:01,250 --> 00:24:04,250

and then got funding, you know, like, it's

437

00:24:04,333 --> 00:24:07,333

so I mean, you can even see

438

00:24:07,958 --> 00:24:10,666

this is John, you know, an educated

439

00:24:10,666 --> 00:24:14,125

Black man who was straight out of Compton.

440

00:24:14,166 --> 00:24:17,000

That was,

441

00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,000

not intentional but,

442

00:24:20,416 --> 00:24:24,208

he was in the streets and,

and I think this was

443

00:24:24,291 --> 00:24:29,000

that was his way of saying,

you know, like education where he has you.

444

00:24:29,208 --> 00:24:31,083

But I think you're absolutely right.

445

00:24:31,083 --> 00:24:33,833

I mean, there's there's a side of it

where it's like,

446

00:24:33,833 --> 00:24:35,541

what about those who, you know,

447

00:24:36,625 --> 00:24:37,583

like like me?

448

00:24:37,583 --> 00:24:39,333

I was never a great student.

449

00:24:39,333 --> 00:24:40,333

I'm blessed.

450

00:24:40,333 --> 00:24:43,458

I made it, you know, through college

and everything like that.

451

00:24:43,458 --> 00:24:47,875

But, like, I can certainly see

that's not what, you know, defines me.

452

00:24:49,541 --> 00:24:52,250

So art was kind of where I had my college.

453

00:24:52,250 --> 00:24:54,875

You can always teach art.

454

00:24:54,875 --> 00:24:58,250

And, I mean, you look at this movie,

I would say this stand out.

455

00:24:58,583 --> 00:25:01,458

Well,

I mean, there's multiple standouts but

456

00:25:01,458 --> 00:25:04,708

it's artists,

you know, it's Cuba Gooding Jr,

457

00:25:04,916 --> 00:25:08,541

a young, even a great Ice Cube

who had never acted a day

458

00:25:08,541 --> 00:25:11,708

in his life, who is now doing

all kinds of crazy things.

459

00:25:11,708 --> 00:25:15,833

And so,

you see, even within this project, words

460

00:25:16,166 --> 00:25:19,166

pushing forward

this message, you can see how art,

461

00:25:19,708 --> 00:25:22,375

being used within it, artists,

462

00:25:22,375 --> 00:25:26,833

you know, just doing their thing,

how it is become this creative thing.

463

00:25:27,041 --> 00:25:29,125

So I think it was interesting.

464

00:25:29,125 --> 00:25:33,250

I just would like to add one thing,

but I think times are different.

465

00:25:33,458 --> 00:25:37,708

Things are really different in terms of

I just the film resonates with them.

466

00:25:37,708 --> 00:25:42,500

But the situation with Doughboy

or even Ricky or the others,

467

00:25:43,041 --> 00:25:46,708

I think has also a lot to do,

in my opinion, with the masculinity

468

00:25:46,875 --> 00:25:51,250

and then the absence of,

I guess, role models

469

00:25:51,250 --> 00:25:55,041

like male role

models around these subjects, which would,

470

00:25:55,375 --> 00:26:01,166

give them less avenues to go for whatever

you want to call that success.

471

00:26:01,166 --> 00:26:05,291

And for those times,

I guess going to college

472

00:26:05,291 --> 00:26:09,125

or reading or being out

there would be one of those avenues where

473

00:26:09,750 --> 00:26:14,708

these other characters didn't

have that chance to actually go through.

474

00:26:14,708 --> 00:26:19,375

So I personally think that it has a lot

to do with their surroundings,

475

00:26:19,375 --> 00:26:22,583

their family structures,

and the idea of masculinity.

476

00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:24,416

Okay.

477

00:26:24,416 --> 00:26:24,958

Yeah.

478

00:26:24,958 --> 00:26:30,500

So I mean, for Ricky's character

who almost made it out, I mean,

479

00:26:30,750 --> 00:26:35,000

his option is sports, that was his outlet,

you know, that happens a lot.

480

00:26:35,541 --> 00:26:38,625

And in these situations,

even in the inner cities as well.

481

00:26:39,208 --> 00:26:41,708

So I don't necessarily

have any more questions.

482

00:26:41,708 --> 00:26:44,958

I just want to see if anyone has

any final thoughts on the film

483

00:26:44,958 --> 00:26:47,958

that you'd like to share,

with the audience.

484

00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,375

I'll, I'll throw in a bit

485

00:26:53,333 --> 00:26:57,583

that I find a great contrast between early

hip hop films from New York.

486

00:26:58,708 --> 00:27:03,416

Like “Wild Style”, “Krush Groove”

and even “Juice” to a degree

487

00:27:03,875 --> 00:27:06,875

is that in those movies, hip hop is this,

488

00:27:07,791 --> 00:27:10,291

like, alternative to violence?

489

00:27:10,291 --> 00:27:12,166

It's alternative to poverty.

490

00:27:12,166 --> 00:27:15,166

It's a it's a it's like this, you know,

491

00:27:15,958 --> 00:27:19,083

build your skills, become - Juice -

you know, you become this great deejay.

492

00:27:19,083 --> 00:27:21,208

There's this opportunity for you.

493

00:27:21,208 --> 00:27:24,208

And and in some ways, you know,

I don't want to paint

494

00:27:24,208 --> 00:27:27,208

too rosy of a picture of it,

but in some ways, a lot of like,

495

00:27:27,291 --> 00:27:30,541

the Bronx movement around the hip

hop picks up gangbanging

496

00:27:30,541 --> 00:27:34,750

and put it into this culture,

create opportunity for us.

497

00:27:36,375 --> 00:27:37,958

The West Coast is awesome.

498

00:27:37,958 --> 00:27:41,000

You know, like it's very

it has a very different,

499

00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,000

way to orient itself to hip hop

500

00:27:44,541 --> 00:27:47,666

and you can see some of that

in “Breakin’”

501

00:27:47,875 --> 00:27:50,875

I think

when, when you guys show that in February,

502

00:27:50,875 --> 00:27:55,500

it tends to always have seen,

this is a way to make money.

503

00:27:56,458 --> 00:27:59,083

And blow up.

504

00:27:59,083 --> 00:28:03,000

And then what you see in this movie

for the first time that I, that I know,

505

00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,000

I think it's a much better

representation of colors is that hip

506

00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,125

hop and sort of gangbanging are like,

inseparable.

507

00:28:10,791 --> 00:28:13,625

It's the soundtrack. Like, you know what?

508

00:28:13,625 --> 00:28:19,041

What struck me was the hip hop was like

hip hop beats and like, classic songs.

509

00:28:19,333 --> 00:28:21,833

“Jam on It” or “More Bounce to the Ounce”.

510

00:28:21,833 --> 00:28:25,416

Cube’s records, Too Short’s records,

they're all playing in the background

511

00:28:25,875 --> 00:28:26,750

when this is going on.

512

00:28:26,750 --> 00:28:30,416

So it's like it's a part of this larger

sort of meditation

513

00:28:30,416 --> 00:28:35,458

that Singleton's having on, on, on,

the mindset and that it seems.

514

00:28:35,458 --> 00:28:37,250

So it's, it's just a different take.

515

00:28:38,375 --> 00:28:39,750

And I think it's very

516

00:28:39,750 --> 00:28:42,750

it's striking

that regard as a hip hop movie.

517

00:28:44,333 --> 00:28:47,000

I mean, for me, I'm

going to go a little technical with this,

518

00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:51,083

but if there's one thing that makes this

film really different than the others,

519

00:28:51,083 --> 00:28:54,916

in my opinion, with hip hop movement,

it's the use of sound in the film.

520

00:28:55,375 --> 00:28:57,291

It's almost like two

characters are talking.

521

00:28:57,291 --> 00:28:59,666

There's always the hip

hop music in the background.

522

00:28:59,666 --> 00:29:00,416

What did you say?

523

00:29:00,416 --> 00:29:02,750

Something about it?

What's going on? Right.

524

00:29:02,750 --> 00:29:06,500

And what this 4K experience is,

it was a little different experience

525

00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:10,208

for me here as well,

especially with the sound like gunshots.

526

00:29:10,208 --> 00:29:12,083

And a couple of things really shook me up.

527

00:29:12,083 --> 00:29:15,208

Helicopter ride helicopters sound.

528

00:29:15,208 --> 00:29:18,958

That's a really wise use of filmmaking

from that perspective, of that

529

00:29:19,166 --> 00:29:22,458

dark clouds that are being all over

these neighborhoods at all times.

530

00:29:22,458 --> 00:29:22,625

Right.

531

00:29:22,625 --> 00:29:24,375

It's really interesting.

532

00:29:24,375 --> 00:29:27,500

So, so I think

it's a really influential film.

533

00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:30,500

I think what you said about the hip

hop influence is really there,

534

00:29:30,666 --> 00:29:33,708

but not only because of that,

but all the other topics that,

535

00:29:34,250 --> 00:29:37,375

you know, the questions were centered

around today with the idea of gang

536

00:29:37,375 --> 00:29:40,458

violence, gentrification, education.

537

00:29:40,458 --> 00:29:43,416

I think this film is really influential,

even still today.

538

00:29:43,416 --> 00:29:44,708

It resonates.

539

00:29:44,708 --> 00:29:48,208

It resonates with with me,

and I'm hoping with everybody

540

00:29:49,791 --> 00:29:50,791

Yeah, another

541

00:29:50,791 --> 00:29:54,708

thing I noticed was right

as Ricky is about to be shot,

542

00:29:54,708 --> 00:29:57,208

you hear a child

laughing in the background.

543

00:29:57,208 --> 00:30:00,416

Yeah, it's just a crazy contrast. But,

544

00:30:01,458 --> 00:30:03,875

yeah,

I mean, I just echo what you're saying.

545

00:30:03,875 --> 00:30:08,875

I mean, I think about, just myself

and the impact, you know,

546

00:30:09,125 --> 00:30:13,166

some like this had when I was young

and just trying to figure out,

547

00:30:13,166 --> 00:30:16,916

like,

you know, who I was and was going to be.

548

00:30:17,041 --> 00:30:20,875

And I had all these different things

surrounding me, you know, like,

549

00:30:21,291 --> 00:30:22,583

Allentown isn’t Compton,

550

00:30:22,583 --> 00:30:26,416

but like, there's there's still crime,

there's still things that happen.

551

00:30:26,416 --> 00:30:31,250

And, you know, I had another front row

seat to some of that, you know, a film

552

00:30:31,250 --> 00:30:34,791

like this, that really obviously,

553

00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,125

you know, has become a cultural landmark.

554

00:30:38,375 --> 00:30:41,083

And I think it's really cool

555

00:30:41,083 --> 00:30:45,625

just to zero in on, like,

Compton and South Central L.A.

556

00:30:45,625 --> 00:30:46,708

and everything. Like

557

00:30:47,875 --> 00:30:49,333

the influential artists who

558

00:30:49,333 --> 00:30:53,125

have come out of there

who are doing such amazing work today.

559

00:30:53,541 --> 00:30:57,458

I'm a huge Kendrick Lamar fan, I’m

a Kendrick Lamar stan, you could say.

560

00:30:57,875 --> 00:31:01,791

And thinking

that he came from those streets

561

00:31:01,791 --> 00:31:05,625

thinking that he came from like Bloods

and all that kind of stuff.

562

00:31:06,833 --> 00:31:08,708

He's about to do the Super Bowl and,

563

00:31:08,708 --> 00:31:12,000

and he's and he's using his resources

and everything to give back.

564

00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,458

Like, it's

not just like fame and everything,

565

00:31:14,458 --> 00:31:17,458

but like conscious and talking about like,

566

00:31:18,500 --> 00:31:22,916

just like taking care of your mental

health and all these different things.

567

00:31:22,916 --> 00:31:27,291

It's like, you know, John Singleton,

like his, his work.

568

00:31:28,041 --> 00:31:33,291

I really believe just like paved the way

for young Black men, even in that time and

569

00:31:33,416 --> 00:31:38,291

space, were surrounded by this stuff to,

you know, still be able to cut through it.

570

00:31:38,291 --> 00:31:43,250

And they use music, but, you know, there's

so much other stuff, that they had.

571

00:31:43,250 --> 00:31:44,208

So, I mean,

572

00:31:45,541 --> 00:31:46,041

it's a

573

00:31:46,041 --> 00:31:49,958

shame that he died so young, but truly,

truly, truly, you know,

574

00:31:49,958 --> 00:31:54,583

just one of the great pieces of cinema

that I think was

575

00:31:56,041 --> 00:31:58,875

He actually really had

he had more in the tank,

576

00:31:58,875 --> 00:32:02,375

unfortunately,

we never get to see what he had in store.

577

00:32:03,041 --> 00:32:05,416

But, on behalf of the Hip Hop

578

00:32:05,416 --> 00:32:08,416

Movie Club, I'd like to thank you

three gentlemen for sharing your time

579

00:32:08,416 --> 00:32:11,916

with us and talking about our film

and being a part of this event.

580

00:32:12,458 --> 00:32:15,500

And to the audience, if you can have a

round of applause for our three panelists.

581

00:32:16,375 --> 00:32:19,375

Thank you all.

582

00:32:19,958 --> 00:32:21,750

So much for coming out.

583

00:32:21,750 --> 00:32:22,375

Have a good night.