#28DaysofBlackCinemaHistory: John Singleton

Feb 3, 20211 min read

Updated: Feb 9, 2021

📸: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada. Cropped and color-corrected prior to upload by Daniel Case - An Evening with John Singleton

“Either they don’t know, don’t show…or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood.” -Boyz N the Hood

In 1992, at the age of 24, John Singleton became the youngest person and first Black director to be nominated for Best Director at the 64th Academy Awards for his coming-of-age drama, “Boyz N the Hood.” The movie was Singleton’s directorial debut following graduation from USC film school. The movie’s cultural impact is still felt 30 years since its theatrical debut, shedding a light on the lives of Black teenagers in South Central L.A. who were forced to overcome the struggles of adolescence, systemic racism and gang violence.⁠⁠

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In 2002, The Library of Congress recognized the film as “culturally significant” and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. ⁠⁠Before his untimely passing in 2019, Singleton wrote, directed and produced a combined 41 films, television shows and specials.⁠⁠

📽️✊🏾 Here’s where you can stream some of Singleton’s titles:⁠⁠

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Boyz N the Hood