THE BLACK LIST PROJECT
Brooklyn Museum
November 21st, 2008 - March 29, 2009 

In “The Black List Project” video, a series on HBO which produced a number of photographic portraits of the same name now being exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, there is a segment where comedian Chris Rock explains what the word equality means to him.  Rock explains that to be recognized for excellence (his example for the recognition of excellence is based on his area of expertise: the film industry) does not equate to some form of acceptance. A black actor winning an Oscar is not significant because there are still a disproportionate number of actors of color in leading roles. Equality, for Chris Rock is when sub-par black actors are “awarded” roles in the same numbers as their white counterparts. The predictable coincidence is that “The Black List Project” exhibition at the museum also awards only the exceptional members of the African American community.

  The mission statement of “The Black List” was “to interview, film and [photograph] prominent African Americans in an attempt to “[re-define] ‘black-list’ for a new century in the process.”  It would probably not serve to argue the prominence of the subjects chosen (Al Sharpton, Sean Combs, Serena Williams, Colin Powell, Kareem Abdul Jabar and Toni Morrison among others); yet the selection criteria does allude to the kind of image of the African American experience the authors of the exhibit choose to put forward.  The lightly controversial nature of only some of the figures highlights Chris Rock’s more humorous example of the excellence-only acceptance of the African American.  Perhaps Colin Powell and Al Sharpton dip there toes in the pool of controversy, but the former Secretary of State has been practically reborn as a taken advantage of do-gooder in his post resignation career and Sharpton seems virtually fangless in his current attempts to sniff out and call attention to social injustice.  Any debate about Russell Simmons’ exploitation of violence and sexism for profit through hip hop has fallen by the way side as an international culture bridging race, class and religious boundaries has become the language of the youth of world; while the only debate about Lou Gossett Jr could perhaps be why Sydney Poitier was not the more appropriate choice.

  To re-define the term “black-list” is open in that it allows for infinite interpretation, so long as the meaning is altered.  The exhibition and video present a reactionary approach to the definition because the move has been from a negative connotation to a more positive one. But how much does this actually benefit?  Were more divisive figures to be featured, would that lend to the complexity of presentation?  Bob Johnson (founder of Black Entertainment television) and Ray Nagin (mayor of New Orleans) among others might contribute to a more intricate survey. What might a discussion sound like with them included as subjects?