The Black power mixtape 1967-1975

This collection of Swedish television reports on the Black Power movement in the United States vary wildly, with some segments of little interest to American viewers (Is Swedish reporting anti-American?), while others offer access to leaders rarely given so much screen time in this country. Stokely Carmichael (1941-98), for instance, oozes charisma, taking over for a film crew interviewing his mother. Angela Davis (b. 1944) gives an impassioned jailhouse interview about violence in her childhood. Whether radicals like Eldridge Cleaver (1935-98) and Bobby Seale (b. 1936) were more willing to give Swedish filmmakers access, or whether U.S. journalists backed away from them, this film is an eye-opener. Current black musicians such as Questlove and Erykah Badu react to the footage but don't add much more than incentive for younger viewers to watch. The focus is terribly scattered, but more complete interviews are included in the bonus features. VERDICT While not an essential purchase, this film offers a fine supplementary viewpoint for libraries that collect heavily in this area.-John Hiett, Iowa City P.L. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.