2 chapters across the catalog
April Reign discusses the substantive changes made by the Academy to double the number of women and people of color in its ranks by 2020. She cites the inclusion of filmmakers like Melvin Van Peebles and Julie Dash as a way to change the "lens" through which films are judged. The hosts remain skeptical, viewing these additions as tokenism for the sake of corporate optics.
Film historian Charles Woods analyzes the 1971 film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, noting its support from Huey Newton and the Black Panthers. The film's plot—a Black man on the run after killing a cop—is identified as the direct predecessor to Queen and Slim. Woods argues that these films often serve as a "nigger on the run" trope that repeats across decades.
