Ashleigh Killiebrew

Apr 27, 2018 | Bios

My name is Ashleigh Killiebrew, I am an English Major, Human Resource Development and Africana Studies Minor. I am a senior, graduating in December 2018. Through my academic career, I have grew increasingly interested in the Black Experience and unpacking relative theories and ideologies. For this VR video essay, I tackle one of the most recognized concepts within the construction of Black culture and cinema: Black Spectatorship.

The Lens of Reality: Problematizing Black Spectatorship

The Lens of Reality: Problematizing Black Spectatorship

Apr 26, 2018 | VR Video Essay

The Black community, since the release of many xenophobic and discriminatory films like D.W Griffin’s Birth of a Nation, has worked to create an appropriate presence and image in American culture. Primarily, movies during this time ridicule Black people and condemned them to be mere servants or mammies, thieves, robbers, murders or villains.

© JMU 2018