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Synopsis

Black Is... Black Ain't is an unabashedly frank and honest- and at times humorous- look at black identity in America. In his final project before losing his battle with AIDS, acclaimed director Marlon Riggs challenges the traditional definition of blackness while issuing a ringing call to African-Americans to celebrate diversity within the community so that the dream of unity can be achieved.

A powerful and intelligent critique of racism, sexism, and homophobia, the film trains a bright spotlight on the exclusiveness and rigidity of the black institutions of family, church, and community. Incisive storytelling and commentary from prominent black intellectuals, including Angela Davis, bell hooks, and Cornel West, as well as Riggs’ own hospital bed insights stir provocative debate and add reinforcement to Riggs’s bold vision for a humanity that embraces all people.

Likening black America to a batch of his grandmother’s gumbo, a stew with "just a little bit of everything in it," Riggs explodes the myth that black America is monolithic.