Whether it’s the mass incarceration of African Americans, the controversy surrounding affirmative action as a policy to redress past discrimination, the achievement gap or high school drop out disparity, the debate over appropriate and effective campaigns for HIV/AIDS testing and prevention programs, or the effort to limit sex education in public schools, most of these initiatives and controversies are focused on, structured around, and disproportionately impact young, often marginal African Americans. However, in contrast to the centrality of African American youth to the politics and policies of the country, their perspectives and voice have generally been absent from not only public policy debates, but also media and broadcast programs. Increasingly, researchers and policy-makers have been content to detail and measure the behavior of young African Americans with little concern for their attitudes, ideas, wants and desires. The documentary, “Woke Up Black,” will work to fill that void.
"Woke Up Black”—which focuses on five black youth, along with their struggles and triumphs as they start their journey into adulthood—places at its center the voices of Black youth: their ideas, attitudes and opinions that are often overlooked in today's society.
For two years, Mary Morten and associate producers Keisha Farmer-Smith, Aparna Sharma, and Marisol Ybarra followed five youth from the Chicago area to explore their experiences when it comes to navigating the world they live in. As they move through their personal challenges this documentary also mirrors the complexities of this often ignored group that are at the center of many socio-political issues including discrimination, political participation, sex and relationships, music, and the media portrayal of black youth.
An interview-driven film with wide-ranging footage provides context for young people who are often criticized and frequently misunderstood. Small group conversations punctuate the individual vignettes on each young person. The documentary subjects are:
Rosalee, 18, a recent graduate of Lakeview High School, is the oldest in a family of eight where she and her three brothers and sisters were adopted by her aunt and uncle. She is the first person in her family to attend college. Rosalee struggles with life away from her family and the college experience.
Carter, 16, was adopted by two African American gay men when he was 10. As the oldest of eight children he was bounced around in foster care for several years. Carter is finishing up his last year of high school and is balancing his class studies, sports, and family life while trying to figure out his future.
Ace, 17, is a self-identified gender queer youth who struggles to maintain relationships with members of her family who do not agree with her sexual orientation and are not supportive of the gender identity issues she is dealing with.
Morgan, 19, lives in an affluent western suburb of Chicago and is in her second year of college at a prestigious out of state university. While being raised to be a strong African American woman by her parents, she has lived the majority of her life in situations where she is the only African American or one of a few.
Sheldon, 20, is a new father and an organizer at a south side community based organization that works with youth on issues of social justice. At the age of 17, he was incarcerated for six months for committing a felony crime. He is currently working to expunge his record.
Morten, an activist, filmmaker and consultant started work on "Woke Up Black" after reading a report by Dr. Cathy Cohen for the Black Youth Project. Cohen, a professor at the University of Chicago, was the principal investigator of this groundbreaking report. The report was a national research project launched in 2003 that examined the attitudes, resources, and culture of African American youth exploring how these factors and others influence their decision-making, norms, and behavior.
"At the end of the day what we see on the news are these 20-second sound bites, almost without fail, always bad news and very much stereotypes of young folks being projected into the larger culture," stated Morten. "We wanted to tell real life stories that are indeed hopeful."
Starting with interviews with youth in Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans in 2008, Morten brought the focus onto five Chicago youth. She said that with the attention the city was receiving getting that year with Barack Obama being nominated for U.S. President and an Olympics bid in the works; the eyes of the world were focusing on Chicago. "The reality is these stories are universal," says Gordon Quinn, co-founder and executive producer of Kartemquin Films, and creative consultants for the film. "The breadth of individual stories in the film is quite remarkable."
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