Events by Series

In February, we focus on the early 1970s, an era of American cinema that provided groundbreaking opportunities for leading ladies of color. The success of tough, male-centered action dramas like Super Fly and Shaft led to Hollywood and low-budget studios experimenting with the “blaxploitation” formula and developing projects fronted by equally strong women protagonists, like the title characters played by the vengeful, yet vulnerable Pam Grier in Coffy, and the unflappable, statuesque Tamara Dobson in Cleopatra Jones. More a traditional studio “woman’s picture” than an action/exploitation vehicle, Claudine earned Diahann Carroll an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of a single mother of six who finds love with a sensitive working-class man (James Earl Jones). Carroll was a last minute replacement for the late Diana Sands, who we will remember with an episode of the early 60s TV series East Side/West Side that will screen with Claudine.