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Black Power Themes

The Black Power movement was started in the 60s by a group of young black activist students who were once a part of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). They aimed to uplift the black community and end racism through the promotion of Black power. Its leader, Stokley Carmichael, described black power, "Politically, black power means what it has always meant to SNCC: the coming-together of black people to elect representatives and to force those representatives to speak to their needs." The movie reflects a lot of the ideologies of and issues exposed by the Black Power Movement--Black unity, self-determination and the threat of systemic oppression.

Black Unity and Self-Determination

One of the most prevalent themes throughout the film is Black unity and self-determination, ideologies of Black nationalism adopted by the Black Power movement. Black unity and self-determination preached the unification of all Blacks, regardless of class, gender and nation, under a common struggle and oppressor in order to create their own nationhood. "The idea was to broaden formalize, and elevate the will of the Black Nation so that it would be able to move a great many people and resources in a direction necessary to spring the Black Man." This idea worked at multiple levels--international, national and local. Friday Foster touches on the national and local levels of Black unity and self-determination through family, community and commerce.

The Black Family, The Next Generation & The Black Community

Uplifting the Black family was an important part of Black unity and self-determination. The Black family, especially Black women, was expected to play an important role in shaping the next generation. Although we never see who Friday's parents are, we do get to meet her younger brother, Cleave, whom she cares for. Cleave represents the next generation in this film. He is intelligent, young, brave and quick witted as we can see from his interactions with the neighborhood pimp, Fancy, but also innocent. Friday's mission to find and have the hitmen arrested is also a mission to protect her younger brother (the next generation). This mission becomes clear in the scene where the hitman tries to kill Friday in her apartment. Her younger brother, not knowing anything about the present danger directs the hitman to their apartment. In doing this, the film induces fear, not only for Friday's life, but her bother's also. As we are to assume that Friday is his only family, if she were to die, her brother would become an orphan and might fall victim to the common traps of Black life--poverty, drugs, gangs, etc.

Protecting the next generation from the criminal life would give them the opportunity to be better educated than the last and be leaders in the community and promote Black unity. Education was an important part of Black Power. It was believed that "treating black children as creative, educable beings (rather than aberrant or dysfunctional ones), these revamped institutions would emphasize racial and cultural difference in a positive way--by nurturing a youngster's sense of self and instilling respect for collective responsibility and action." By doing this, every generation would come and help build their community in the same way that they were helped.

The film introduces viewers to comedic versions of two common characters within the Black community--the Black cop and the pimp. Although comedic, these characters are essential to the themes of Black Power that reverberate throughout the film. As expresed by Stokely Carmichael, "...black Americans have two problems: they are poor and they are black. All other problems arise form this two-sided reality: lack of education, the so-called apathy of black men." These characters are a part of a disillusioned older generation caught in the claws of systemic oppression, poverty and being Black. The cop is portrayed as lazy, when in reality he is probably overworked and disillusioned by his job. Throughout the film, he is constantly asking for a beer and refuses to investigate the murder of Cloris any further despite the insistence from Friday and Colt based on evidence. The cop is a representation of what happens when Black people work for a government that does not support them and understand that justice will never land on their side. On the other hand, Fancy, the pimp, is a representation of what could happen to Black men when they are not protected and properly educated, because of poverty. Both of these men represent possibilities for Cleve's future if Friday cannot protect him.

Black Commerce

Black commerce is an important part of Black nationalism in order to accumulate the resources necessary to liberate the Black community. "When we urge that black money go into black pockets, we mean the communal pocket. We want to see money go back into the community and used to benefit it." This concept focused on creating a Black Wall Street that would uplift and unify the Black community so that they would be able to create better schools and influence the system. In the film, there are a lot of Black business owners and Black bosses, for example, Friday's boss at Glance Magazine. Although it is unclear as to whether or not he owns the magazine, it is clear that he has a lot of power and influence in the city. He is able to get Friday out of jail after she steals the hearse and even the white antagonist acknowledges the power of Glance Magazine backing Friday in her plans to stop Black Widow. The film also shows a Black female business owner, Madam Rena, the fashion designer who has connections to some of the richest men in D.C.

Beyond the already established businesses, the movie also promotes the idea of educating the young in commerce. The first time the movie shows Cleve, he is counting money in a closet filled with presents. Further into the movie, it is shown that he is getting this money by selling the gifts that Fancy brings for Friday. When asked whether or not he is hustling now, he responds, "Nope, strictly Black capitalism." Generating wealth within the Black community and teaching the young about the systems of economics would give the community the opportunity to rebuild and create a better nation.

Black Politics & the Threat of White Supremacy

In the midst of solving the murder of two of her friends as well as the attempted murder of Black billionaire, Blake Tarr, Friday uncovers a political movement that plans to unify all of the black politicians. As the movie shows, this would be the first time the Black politicians all worked together to tear down "walls of prejudice and discrimination." The unity of Black politicians would mean a stronger Black presence in government and Black power. Going back to Stokely Carmichael, "Politically, black power means what it has always meant to SNCC: the coming-together of black people to elect representatives and to force those representatives to speak to their needs." This is harmful to the system that is already in place and does not work for the enrichment of the Black community. A stronger Black presence in government would also mean that the government would have to acknowledge and work to fix Black problems. In order to do this, it would have to restructure the system.

However, the omnipresent threat of White supremacy is always a problem. In the movie, this threat is working to destroy Black Power by killing all of the Black leaders a part of the movement for Black political unity. "Suppose you wanted to destroy Black Power. What better way then to get all the leaders together and wipe them out." This shows the length that white supremacists would go to stop equality. This isn't a far stretch considering that many leaders of the Civil Rights Movement were either assasinated or attacked to stop the movement. The most disturbing part however, is that the person coordinating the attack for the white man is a black man, Charles Folley. This confuses Friday, who doesn't understand how someone Black could work against their own community. But, as the senator points out, "Some n****** will do anything for a dollar." This demonstrates the need for Black unity and commerce as a means of getting out of poverty and the white man's money.

 

Gender/Sexuality

Beyond Black Power, this film also deals with themes of gender and sexuality. Its main protagonist is a Black female and it also portrays Black LGBT life.

Black Womanhood

This film has less nudity than Grier's more popular films Foxy Brown and Coffy, but it also says a lot about the treatment of women during this period.

patriarchy in blsack powert

• Men dismiss her, and her friend's charges because she is a woman. They say she is just a drug dealer.
• she gets arrested and felt up as she is running from the killer. They think she is hysterical. (link article about women and hysteria).
• "Go home, get laid, have a baby." By the homosexual man! Black woman is the most disrespected minority
• men talk about her like she's meat

• smart resourceful
• uses sexuality to get what she wants; preacher
• men constantly flirt with her even when they need her for help (gets into bed with both of the senators even though we barely know him)
• "1st I'm a woman"