The significant difference between the current phase of the recurring 50-year cycle of Black economic successes would have been good fortune for the Blacks who needed a hand up as well, especially self-empowerment workers who want to pull others up with them. Had this been the story line 50 years ago, a lasting economic breakthrough for the theatrical artists and the working poor may have occurred, bringing more and higher-paying jobs in a movie industry that sells over 50% of its tickets to the African-American market.
Oscar Micheaux said in 1920: “The appreciation my people have shown my maiden efforts convince me that they want racial photoplays depicting racial life, and to that task I have concentrated my mind and efforts.” (Please click www.tonybrownsjournal.com/video-catalog and read Chapter III: The History of Black Cinema: Moving Pictures That Tell Our Story -- “In Honor Of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis,” p. 29).
A new and more expansive and dynamic diversity movement today might include that vision but add something to it along the self-empowerment aspect of what I previously attempted on my own dime with a feature film release in 1995.
At the St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands theatrical premiere, I succeeded in breaking the house box-office record with my $3-million independent “self-empowerment” movie (Please click www.tonybrownsjournal.com/video-catalog and read "Tony Brown Movie Puts Community Before Hollywood," p. 57) that I produced and directed with my own money and a financial model based on community profit sharing with community participants and organizations.
On the other hand, despite even in the latest wave of enormous profits made from Black talent in Black movies and TV, the usually left-out in the entrepreneurial Black communities are still left out. And begging White Hollywood for a share of its rightfully-earned gains in a free-market system, amid inappropriate pity-party and protest gestures at industry Hollywood awards dinners, won’t move the money ball down the field one inch, or one dollar further either. The only color of freedom is green.
Visit www.TonyBrownsJournal.com and download the FREE Tony Brown’s Journal Video & Film Catalog that has show descriptions of the nearly 1,000 programs produced during the 40-year history of the award-winning Tony Brown’s Journal television series.
On the TonyBrownsJournal.com site there are also video clips of rare and iconic programs from the Tony Brown’s Journal Video and Film collection that are available FREE with just the click of a mouse (www.tonybrownsjournal.com/video-clips) -- any time, any place – and as long as you want. These clips showcase many pivotal, yet often-overlooked experiences of African-American life.
