Diversity in American Cinema

Catalog description

This course explores the history of diversity in American Cinema through an examination of often overlooked and understudied filmmakers. Starting with the pioneering and powerful silent and early sound films of Oscar Micheaux and considering examples up to contemporary filmmaking, we will analyze how filmmakers have challenged stereotypes, broken boundaries, and contributed to a more inclusive cinematic landscape. We will explore key contributions of African Americans in film, Asian Americans, films by and about people with disabilities, queer cinema, indigenous and first peoples’ cinema, and other categories of diversity in American cinema. By the end of this course, students will have a basic understanding the history of diversity in American Cinema.