Paper # 2
Title :
Why Black people look blue in the moonlight : an examination of how BarryJenkins film Moonlight ( 2016 ) reunites the image of Black people ’ s bodies with water .
Authors : Sarah Powell
Keywords :
Moonlight , Water , Swimming , Homosexuality
DOI :
Why Black people look blue in the moonlight : an examination of how BarryJenkins film Moonlight ( 2016 ) reunites the image of Black people ’ s bodies with water .
Abstract
A recent study highlighted that 70 percent of African Americans could not swim ( Diaz-Duran , 2017 ), with drowning rates being far higher in Black communities than in white . The origin of this alarming statistic can be traced back to the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and cemented itself during segregation which forcibly divorced the image of the black body and water . It is these historical events that have led to the above statistic and the subsequent stereotype that Black people cannot swim . I was surprised then when Barry Jenkins 2016 film Moonlight portrayed a Black child , Chiron , learning to swim without any implication of danger or risk of drowning . The film recaptures the image of Black people ’ s bodies with water and begins to unravel stereotypes that manifested themselves in America centuries ago . Moonlight demonstrates how on-screen representation is a critical factor in recognising these stereotypes , understanding where they come from and taking action to undo what centuries worth of oppression and segregation did to form them .
Article
There is a stereotype , predominantly in the United States of America , that Black people cannot swim ( León , 2019 ). This stereotype emerged throughout the 19th and 20th centuries through racial segregation . It can be traced back to the transatlantic slavetrade and has remained a prominent assumption in modern-day Western society . A way in which modern society is attempting to drift away from deep root stereotypes , such as this one , is through the film industry . This medium can challenge , undo and change long-standing stereotypes . A prominent example in recent cinema which achieves this is the 2016 film Moonlight ,
directed by Barry Jenkins . The film features a scene where the protagonist Chiro , from a Black ethnic background , is taught to swim as a child by his surrogate father figure Juan . Water is a central theme throughout Moonlight and is used by Chiron to connect with his inner self . The representation Moonlight presents is unique as the image of Black people ’ s bodies with or in water is rarely shown in cinema ( or other media ) at all . Whilst this film breaks
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