Blaxploitation films, born when Black consciousness was ascendant, stirred the imaginations of kids who in the ’80s created indelible hip-hop tales, in turn inspiring filmmakers Spike Lee, John Singleton and even Quentin Tarantino. More than anything, Blaxploitation films were a turning point for Black people in American cinema. A century ago, pioneering Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux provided a rare platform for Black films created by Black people centering on Black stories. In the ensuing decades, Hollywood's vision for Black actors limited them to roles that were minimal and stereotypical at best and downright racist at worst. Movies like "Shaft" and "Super Fly" were revolutionary. They set a template for Blaxpolitation films that featured Black actors in every key role. And they presented the denizens of ghetto street life in all their colorful, unvarnished and honest reality. “I say to my students today, those Blaxploitation characters were the equivalent of superheroes,” says Todd Boyd, professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “If there was a common theme to most of them, it is that there’s always a representation of Black power in them.” “To think back to 1972, you have both ‘SuperFly’ and ‘The Godfather’ come out, both of which help write the history of gangster films going forward,” he says. “By the ’80s, you have images from Blaxploitation movies informing gangsta rap, and by the ’90s, well, there’s no Tarantino without Blaxploitation movies.” While many Blaxploitation anti-heroes may have plied their trades in the streets, at least they were taking control of their own destiny against considerable societal forces. Put another way, rather than continue to simply be sidelined and stereotyped players in a white vision of the world, the stars of Blaxploitation movies, to borrow from James Brown, said it loud: “I’m Black and I’m proud.” 🎥 Movies pictured(in order): "Shaft" "Super Fly" "Foxy Brown" "Blacula" "Bones" Read more of our stories for