Marlon Riggs (1957-1994) was an American poet, educator, filmmaker, and gay rights activist. He produced many documentaries for public television, some of which were considered controversial by media watchdog groups, who protested the fact that Riggs' films were produced with money from the National Endowment for the Arts. Marlon Riggs died from AIDS-related illness prior to completion of his final work, Black Is...Black Ain't, a film which concerned the state of African-America, and the self-hating racism, sexism, and homophobia within it.
In Ethnic Notions (1987), Riggs takes viewers on a voyage through American history, tracing the deeply rooted stereotypes that have fueled anti-black prejudice and following the evolution of racial consciousness in America. 56 min.
In Color Adjustment (1992), Riggs carries his landmark studies of prejudice into the television age. Color Adjustment traces forty years of race relations through the lens of prime-time entertainment, scrutinizing television's racial myths and stereotypes. Narrated by Ruby Dee, this documentary allows viewers to revisit some of television's most popular stars and shows.
86 min.
Black Is ... Black Ain't (1995) jumps into the middle of explosive debates over black identity. African Americans have been widely stereotyped by others, but Riggs claims that the rigid definitions of "blackness" that African Americans impose on each other have also been devastating. Is there an essential black identity? 87 min.