Red Tails

As an avid film-goer, I was disappointed in Red Tails. The corny dialog and clunky editing either constrained or mangled the performances of the many talented actors involved. The film seemed intent on rushing through its more dramatic scenes to get to the fast-paced, CGI-enhanced action sequences. One reason I went to see the film was to show my support for the first action movie with an all-black cast; I left feeling that the film had denied that cast the opportunity to showcase their considerable talents.

As an educator, I think the film provides an exciting, relatable snapshot of an important contribution to American history but does not, on its own, invite a critical investigation of that history. Many of the people involved in the film, from producer George Lucas to screenwriter John Ridley, cited their interviews with the Tuskegee Airmen as the most inspiring part of the project. Honoring these brave citizens’ stories was a driving force in bringing the film to the public. For me, the film did not do enough to harness the power of those testimonies. If I were to show this film in my class, I would hope to pair it with testimony – either filmed interviews with Tuskegee Airmen or even better, an actual visit. The website of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc is a great resource for personal histories and information on scheduling a visit in my area. I would ask students to compare the primary sources (actual testimony) with the secondary source of the film. How might the demands and constraints of making a movie (satisfying plot, exciting characters, a “happy ending,” a time limit, etc.) distort its portrayal of history?

Another approach to using this film in a history class would be to ask students to explore the larger context that is occasionally hinted at but largely absent in the film. What was it like for African American soldiers to travel in Europe, where there was less institutionalized racism than in the US? To what extent are European attitudes about race reflected in the film and especially in the romance between Joe and Sofia? How did the soldiers’ experiences in Europe help shape the civil rights movement in the United States? What was it like for the Tuskegee Airmen to bear the double burden of representing their country and representing their race in combat? I might ask students what scenes they think are missing from the film, and I would invite them to pen or perform their own scenes.

Finally, I find the most compelling aspect of the film to be its role in the history of African Americans in the film industry. What challenges have African Americans faced in the American film industry? What are some of the stereotypes of African Americans in film and to what extent does Red Tails defy or reinforce them? Why were major studios unwilling to fund the production of Red Tails? What does the future of African American film look like? Are there any films that focus on contemporary issues of race and injustice in America? What films still need to be made?

In a brief interview at the NYC Premier, actor Nate Parker suggests that the film might inspire young people to tackle some of today’s injustices: “You look at these men and the adversity they faced. It’s not too different from the adversity we’re facing right now, the issues we’re facing whether it be education, the prison industrial complex, the economy, unemployment in our community . . .” This is what I imagine to be the best possible outcome of the film, and as always, I'm hungry for resources and strategies that will help me engage my students in conversations around these critical social justice issues. The latest New Yorker article (on mass incarceration on America) and the latest issue of Rethinking Schools (on the school-to-prison pipeline) have me brainstorming ways that I can incorporate an examination of the prison system into my curriculum. But unfortunately, kid-friendly resources on this topic are few and far between. Who's gonna make the exciting, relatable action movie about the prison industrial complex?

B Corps and the American Dream

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the cracks in the American Dream. The idea – founded on capitalism – is that anyone with some ingenuity and a willingness to work hard will be able to make it in our country. We are supposed to be a “meritocracy” – a place where individual merit matters more than family background. But the latest news is that it’s “Harder For Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs,” that there is in fact more social mobility in countries like Canada, Britain, and Denmark. This – along with so much of the news of the past few years (Citizens United, the financial fiasco, the privatization of schools and prisons, the Occupy movement) – have me convinced that the wealthy have grown far too powerful in America.

How did we stray so far from our ideals? Why are we letting the middle class shrink? Why is this graph (part of a study published last spring) so ridiculous?

Is the American Dream crumbling? Has capitalism gone too far? Is America at the end of its rope?

Despite my temptation to entertain apocalyptic scenarios, I do think there’s some hope. And today, it comes from an unlikely source – The Economist – where I read a recent article on B Corps.

I first learned about B Corps (short for benefit corporations) last spring from a New York Times article called “A Scorecard for Companies with a Conscience”. Basically, B Corps are a new type of legal entity – a corporation that is not only beholden to its shareholders but also to its social and environmental mission. It allows corporations like Patagonia to make decisions that benefit its workers and the environment even if it means their profits won’t grow as quickly.

I was psyched. Ever since then, Steve and I have been buying our coffee from One Village, a certified B Corp. I haven’t seen a lot of other products bearing the B Corps label. Apparently, there are only six states that have passed B Corps legislation. California is the latest (the new legislation there is what prompted the Economist article), but legislation has been introduced in five other states (including my very own PA!).

For me, B Corps represent a step forward in reconciling capitalism and our responsibility to humanity. Some folks that I’ve talked to (or raved to in an idealistic frenzy) about B Corps have suggested that because they don’t rely on “pure” capitalism, they actually mess with the economy and could end up doing more harm than good. My two thoughts on this are: 1) Tax breaks and subsidies for big corporations aren’t “pure” capitalism either, and 2) Even if it turns out hard to prove B Corps’ direct benefit to society and the environment, I will still believe that they are a step in the right direction. They represent an effort to divorce capitalism from greed and unite it with social and environmental responsibility, to combine business savvy with ethical intelligence. This kind of thinking is what our economy needs in order to begin to mend the cracks in the American Dream.

P.S. Cool Philly side note: While checking out the B Corps website, I came across this: "In December 2009, the City of Philadelphia passed legislation creating the country's first tax break for certified sustainable business." Yeah Philly! Apparently, the non-profit behind B Corps, B Lab, is based in Pennsylvania. And apparently, Mayor Nutter was serious about distinguishing Philadelphia as a forward-thinking green city. And apparently, we're awesome.