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MOVIE REVIEW
Slap the Donkey
By McKENZIE CURTIS
The documentary “ Slap the Donkey ” by filmmaker Edward J . Harris Jr ., follows Rev . Al Sharpton ’ s 2004 presidential campaign , the highs and lows , as well as the turmoil between Sharpton and the Democratic party .
While chronicling his election campaign , the film probes the relationship between the Democratic Party and Black political leaders . Although most of the film focuses on the Pentecostal minister ’ s 2004 White House campaign , director Edward J . Harris Jr . followed Sharpton for 10 years to capture this story . His film was released in 2009 , shortly after Barack Obama was sworn in as this nation ’ s first Black president .
“ Slap The Donkey ” exposes the raw nerves of Sharpton ’ s campaign and his frayed relations with the Democratic Party . The film opens with Sharpton ’ s distinct voice declaring , “ They will call you the radicals , they will call you the troublemakers , “ as the image of a boxing ring emerges with Sharpton in a fighting stance with a donkey .
This opening scene makes it clear that Sharpton is not only competing for the presidency but also taking on forces within the Democratic Party , which is symbolized by the donkey .
While the documentary provided insight into Sharpton ’ s campaign , touches of bias permeated the film . This is made clear from the beginning of the film . “ This documentary rests on an either-or proposition : do we , as Americans , begin to choose between overtly Black political leadership or generic leadership who underemphasizes race ? Is the struggle for equality and justice now just a struggle for relevance ,” the narrator asks .
( U . S . Library of Congress )
When mentioning overtly Black political leadership , the film offers an interesting juxtaposition between Roland Burris , Jim Clyburn , and Benjamin Todd Jealous , and Colin Powell and the Rev . Jesse Jackson .
“ Slap the Donkey ,” however , does not shy away from the setbacks Sharpton faced along the way . He did not receive an endorsement from Jackson , who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party ’ s presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 . Sharpton was fined $ 285,000 by the Federal Election
Commission for using money from unofficial campaign funding sources to pay some of his campaign travel expenses .
The film ’ s punchy storytelling invites audiences to seriously consider the role and impact of African Americans in this nation ’ s political processes . n
McKenzie Curtis , a senior in Morgan State University ’ s School of Global Journalism & Communication , is an aspiring filmmaker and screenwriter .
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