“How often does a black girl get the chance, in fiction, to be so unashamedly badass—for lack of a better term—without having to defend her race, her hair, her clothes, or any other thing about herself?” Tayarisha Poe, Creator of Selah and the Spades
These days the words carefree have become a sort of movement in the black social media world. In line with #Blackgirlmagic and other hashtags that in the moment of #BlackLivesMatter hold a lightness that doesn’t always betray the heaviness they are born out of.
Above: Protesters take to the streets to bring attention to the push for justice in the Trayvon Martin case as they take over Rodeo Drive on July 17, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jose Lopez) via
Almost a year ago I remember sitting in front of a movie channel and watching a movie marathon of white children rebelling, loving, living, learning and just being. Young white boys and girls hiding in the wilderness, sipping alcohol under rail tracks, stealing candy from corner stores. They seemed so foreign to me. They were depictions of youth rebelling, breaking against authority, seeking their identity without the fear of policemen shooting them in the back.
Without fear of policemen dragging them by their hair at a pool party. Without fear of being put in jail for a decade because of some weed charges. They were just being, and these movies were depicting them doing just that.
It hit me that I couldn’t think of a lot of similar depictions of black youth just being, outside the confines of deep tragedy. Depictions that didn’t leave the black us being labeled as thugs , or deserving harsh discipline. There always seemed too little room in the black youth existence to rebel, to be carefree.
Above: Still from Girlhood (2014)
How powerful would it be to see black youth loving, living, and learning? How powerful would it be for black youth to see themselves loving, living and learning? The worlds of Tumblr and Instagram first introduced me to the carefree black existence. Imagery of youth purely living beyond the confines of our daily tragedies.
To depict a carefree blackness, is to me to define the largeness and vastness of blackness. It is to sit back and to give space to the black youth rebellion. To allow for the breathing room of a new generation of blackness. It is not that the black existence in this current climate is one without care, rather it is about staking a claim that our youth deserve to be carefree, and instead of waiting for this world to give it to us we will grab on to it. To claim our right to be carefree is like so many things, to once again claim our survival in the most suffocating of rooms.
The following films, short movies , web series and more are a mix of powerful depictions of black youth being beautifully and rightfully carefree.
1. Bébé’s Kids: Animated Movie
“Bébé’s Kids (released on home media as Robin Harris’ Bébé’s Kids) is a 1992 American animated comedy film produced by Reginald Hudlin and Hyperion Pictures, directed by Bruce W. Smith, and released on July 31, 1992 by Paramount Pictures.”
As I was thinking through this article, I happened to watch the movie Bébé’s Kids for the first time. It struck all the right chords and though it isn’t a new feature I knew in my heart it spoke to exactly what I wanted to write about. The title of the article “Let us be badass kids” was born. Bébé’s Kids is a moving animation that depicts three kids that at face value are viewed as terrible. In the movie the kids face heavy police surveillance, immediately labeled as a danger because of their blackness. At the end of the movie we see that there carefree act covers a lonely and neglected home.
Our Carefree is not because we are without care, our carefree is us laying claim to a right despite our realities.
2. Selah and the Spades : Multi-media story
“Selah, and the Spades. is the story of a girl named Selah, who has an afterschool activity called Spirit Squad, a favorite class called Calculus, a protégé named Paloma, a gang called The Spades, and a best friend named Maxxie, and exactly what she does to lose it all in the small southeastern Pennsylvania town of Pontomic.”
The words of the creator Tayarisha Poe speaks completely to the spirit of this project and everything this article states.
“How often does a black girl get the chance, in fiction, to be so unashamedly badass—for lack of a better term—without having to defend her race, her hair, her clothes, or any other thing about herself? How often is a woman of color given a chance to be the antihero? To define herself? …..women of color are still tied down to the same stories and the too tired tropes. It’s boring. I want to show young girls that they can choose how to define themselves, and they can shape their world—I don’t wish to tell them for what side.”
3. Girlhood: French Movie
“Marieme joins an all-girl gang in the projects of Paris and is slowly turned out of her shell by her three sassy neighbors. As she falls further under their bravado and volatile energy, she begins making brave and foolish choices.”
This movie is a beautiful one watch and can be found streaming on Netflix. While it is not without its tragedies, the movie is important in its depiction of young black girls regaining agency but also just being young girls. One of the most touching scenes features the girls at a sleep over. They spend it giggling, dancing and for just one moment they are outside anything but the exact moment. They are Carefree.
“Subway dancing and vogue soul searching on Staten Island with Infinite Coles, Mela Murder and Denasia Moore.”
This dance movie is one part dance, and one part wisdom. As we follow the trio of teens we are left completely immersed in their world as they reflect on love and other things. We join them as they are indeed living, loving and learning. Against what is a stark background there is a truth embedded in it that speaks to the universal experiences of youth trying to make meaning out of their lives.
5. Salt fish and Ackee: UK Web Series
“Ackee & Saltfish: The Web Series” is a web series directed and written by Cecile Emeke, starring Michelle Tiwo as Olivia, and Vanessa Babirye as Rachel. The web series is a comedy that explores the everyday interactions of the two friends. The series was inspired by the desire to capture the small, random, golden and banter-filled moments between friends.”
This web series and the general movement by filmmaker Cecile Emeke has been some of the most inspiring work in regards to the depiction of black youth. Ackee & Saltfish is a humorous depiction that will leave you laughing and reflecting on your own close friendships.
6. Dope Movie: American Movie
“High-school senior Malcolm (Shameik Moore) and his friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) bond over ’90s hip-hop culture, their studies and playing music in their own punk band. A chance encounter with a drug dealer named Dom lands Malcolm and company at the dealer’s nightclub birthday party; when the scene turns violent, they flee — with the Ecstasy that Dom secretly hid in Malcolm’s backpack. A wild adventure ensues as the youths try to evade armed thugs who want the stash.”
With a cast of what can only be deemed as black excellence. The movie has all the bearings of a cult classic for a new generation of black youth.
7. God’s Whisper by Raury: Music Video
“God’s Whisper” featured on Raury’s debut EP, INDIGO CHILD
Raury is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his eclectic sound mixing funk, soul, hip hop and folk. This music video and other videos created for his EP, are exactly the sort of disruption needed in the traditional narratives of black youth.
The post Let Us Be Free: 7 Films Showing Carefree Black Kids appeared first on AADAT Art.
