[Commlist] Call for Chapters: Afterbirth of a Nation: Urban Critical Pedagogy and Ghetto-centric Film Since Boyz n the Hood (1991)

CALL FOR CHAPTERS

Afterbirth of a Nation: Urban Critical Pedagogy and Ghetto-centric Film 
Since Boyz n the Hood (1991)

An hundred years after the release of D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film, Birth 
of a Nation, the film remains on the list of the best films of all time. 
It is standard as a part of film studies’ curricula. A box office 
success, Birth popularized countless filmmaking techniques that remain 
central to the art today. Yet, despite it’s commercial and artistic 
notoriety, Birth of a Nation is not immune to the controversy of being 
one of the most racist films ever. It celebrates the rise of the KKK 
while demonizing black men during America’s Reconstruction. The negative 
effects of its treatment of black men have had a lasting legacy on 
public sentiment towards racial minorities. It has been dogged mostly 
for its depictions of black men [white men in blackface] as violent and 
sexually deviant with a thirst for white female flesh.

In 1991, director John Singleton released Boyz n the Hood, a critically 
acclaimed film that brought the gritty life of the inner city to 
Hollywood’s movie screens. Boyz has been celebrated for its authentic 
depictions of gang violence and the realities of poverty for urban black 
youth. Boyz introduced us to John Singleton and can be counted as his 
singular, greatest work earning him an Oscar nod and much fanfare.

Ever on the path to follow Boyz’ success, filmmakers have chosen the 
inner-city as the setting for films featuring African-American casts, 
This text intends to inspire critical reflection and analysis of 
critically-significant films set in urban environments released after 
Boyz n the Hood both as a way to understand Singleton’s impact and 
legacy but also to critically exam the ghetto-centric genre for its 
value for impacting to critical urban pedagogy.

Recently, the world lost John Singleton following his untimely death 
from a massive stroke. This edited collection intends to examine 
Singleton’s post-Boyz legacy and to invite critical reflection on urban 
film.

Topics for discussion may include (but are not specifically restrictive):

--Individual films or a collective representation
--Race and racial identity
--Implications for using themes films in social justice education
--Gentrification and poverty
--Roles of fathers and male role models
--The myth of the “strong” black single mother
-- The social, cultural, and political forces within urban education 
that relate to teaching students of color
--Themes of resistance and uplift
--Role(s) of teachers, principals, school administrators, and other 
authority figures --Examinations of structural and/or systemic racism

The collection is under contract with DIO Press. About the editors:

Brian C. Johnson, PhD, is an independent scholar focused on the 
intersections of film, popular culture and society. Johnson earned the 
PhD in Communications Media and Instructional Technology from Indiana 
University of PA. He is the author of Reel Diversity: A Teacher’s 
Sourcebook (2008), winner of the 2009 book award from the National 
Association for Multicultural Education. He also co-edited Glee and New 
Directions for Social Change (2015) and edited The Problematic Tyler 
Perry (2016). In 2018, he and James Vines published Reel Big Bullies: 
Teaching to the Problem.

Shinault, Carley M., PhD

Dr. Shinault is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at 
Bloomsburg University. She earned her doctorate from Howard University, 
specializing in Black Politics and American Government. Her 
dissertation, When the Black Bourgeoisie Meets the Truly Disadvantaged: 
Intra-Racial Politics of Class and Residential Space in Prince George’s 
County, MD, explores the social and political impact of Washington, DC’s 
gentrification and revitalization on the city’s bordering suburban 
communities. The research blends quantitative and qualitative analysis 
to highlight demographic characteristics of the Districts migration 
patterns, class tensions within the black community, and challenges to 
current housing policy initiatives. Dr. Shinault’s current research 
interests include the social and political impact of class 
stratification within the black community, gentrification, public 
opinion, and black feminist theory.

Double-spaced proposals and abstracts (250-500-words limit) should be 
sent to (ghettocentricfilms /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(ghettocentricfilms /at/ gmail.com)> by October 1, 2019. 1st draft of 
accepted chapters should be received by January 15, 2020. Final papers 
will be expected in the spring of 2020.

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