Release Date: November 1, 2013
Director: Yoruba Richen
MPAA Rating: NR
Film Pulse Score: 7/10
The topic of gay marriage is currently one of the most talked about, hot button issues in our country today. While those that watch the cable news networks will be inundated with facts and figures about the latest polls and proposed bills, Yoruba Richen’s The New Black offers a more human perspective, specifically from the African American community.
The majority of the film takes place largely in Maryland, where in 2008 a marriage equality bill was passed effectively making same sex marriage legal in the state. This was quickly petitioned and Question 6 was added to the 2012 election ballot, which would repeal the bill. This is similar to California’s Proposition 8, where, due to an overwhelming push by the religious right, the bill was passed, and gay marriage was no longer recognized. Many attributed this result to the Evangelicals and Mormons targeting African Americans and swaying the vote.
This is where the film comes in. The documentary focuses on how the African American community views gay marriage, and follows individuals arguing both for and against. This unique perspective on the topic makes for an interesting watch, without feeling like leftist propaganda.
That being said, like most politically charged documentaries, the film spends more time with those fighting for marriage equally than those opposed, however this makes the film feel more inspiring and certainly more important. It seems that much of the black community is jaded by religion and misinformation, which causes them to be less inclined to embrace tolerance and change.
This is an interesting sentiment because one would think after centuries of discrimination African Americans would be more tolerant of those in the minority, however most believe homosexuality is a choice, unlike being black. This goes back to the belief system of the church.
Although the focus of The New Black is around the Maryland election, it’s a topic that could easily be applied to any state in the union. The decision to keep the content within this area and around this one election made everything feel more personal and intimate, rather than presenting the information in a generalized, talking head sort of way.
As a 29 year-old heterosexual white man, I didn’t think this would be a film that could resonate with me, but it did. While I can’t relate to the personal struggles of the subjects in documentary, I can certainly empathize with them, and feel inspired by them.
