explores the rich history of Black participation in American cinema from its beginnings to just beyond the civil rights movement. Inspired by and named after an independent all-Black-cast movie from 1923, Regeneration seeks to revive lost or forgotten films, filmmakers, and performers for a contemporary audience.
Moviemaking has always been instrumental in shaping culture more broadly, and Black artists and entrepreneurs have been involved from the start despite racism and prejudices that limited their opportunities. Black actors, at times, turned stereotypical roles that did not represent their full humanity into three-dimensional characters, while Black directors who were left out of the mainstream system created their own independent production companies.
On View
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures