| Revision as of 05:52, 18 November 2011 editRoscelese (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers35,788 edits are you kidding me?; rvm failed verification for nearly a year; elaborate from sources; consolidate refs; add topic sentence to criticism section; NYT doesn't say much about film one way or another← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:56, 19 November 2011 edit undoInstaurare (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users11,412 edits WP:CLAIM, combine both leads, change wording that makes critics' accusations sound true; remove summary at top of criticism which is just a rewording of the critics namedNext edit → | ||
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| '''''Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America''''' is a 2009 ] film which draws a connection between ] being historically affected by the ] movement in the United States, and the modern-day prevalence of ] among African Americans. The film |
'''''Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America''''' is a 2009 ] film which draws a connection between ] being historically affected by the ] movement in the United States, and the modern-day prevalence of ] among African Americans. The film makes the case that abortion is an attempted ] or '']'' of black people, and has been so since the 19th century. | ||
| The film has been variously praised and condemned by parties on both sides of the ], particularly in light of its unfavorable depiction of ] founder ], who was involved in the eugenics movement in the early 20th century. Pro-life activists have said that the film is an exposé of the racism of the modern abortion industry, especially Planned Parenthood. Critics have called it a ] and ] for, according to them, distorting the role of ] and ] in the eugenics movement of the early 20th century, and for misinterpreting Sanger's position about black women and family planning, and for blaming ] rather than social conditions for the prevalence of abortion among black populations in America. | |||
| ==Synopsis== | ==Synopsis== | ||
| The title comes from the ] term "]", which means "]" or "]", and is used to describe the centuries of oppression of African people, globally, during ], ] and ]. "21" refers to the ''maafa'' of the 21st century, which the film |
The title comes from the ] term "]", which means "]" or "]", and is used to describe the centuries of oppression of African people, globally, during ], ] and ]. "21" refers to the ''maafa'' of the 21st century, which the film says is ] by black women. The film discusses some of Planned Parenthood's origins (formerly the ]), attributing to it a "150-year-old goal of exterminating the black population." It attacks Margaret Sanger, along with other birth control advocates, as a racist eugenicist. | ||
| ==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
| In a review for '']'', Rebecca Terrell praised ''Maafa 21'' as "an explosive exposé of the racist eugenics agenda of the abortion industry in the United States."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thenewamerican.com/reviews/movies/2718-maafa-21-exposes-black-genocide |title="Maafa 21" Exposes Black Genocide |author=Rebecca Terrell |date=7 January 2010 |work=] |publisher=] |accessdate=15 November 2011}}</ref> | In a review for '']'', Rebecca Terrell praised ''Maafa 21'' as "an explosive exposé of the racist eugenics agenda of the abortion industry in the United States."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thenewamerican.com/reviews/movies/2718-maafa-21-exposes-black-genocide |title="Maafa 21" Exposes Black Genocide |author=Rebecca Terrell |date=7 January 2010 |work=] |publisher=] |accessdate=15 November 2011}}</ref> | ||
| Pro-life activists praise the film as a tool in their campaign against abortion rights, choosing to believe its claims although they are unfamiliar with the history of family planning or with the research that supposedly went into making the film.<ref name="metropulse"/> | |||
| ===Criticism=== | ===Criticism=== | ||
| ⚫ | Writer ] argued that the film falsely attributes racist views to family planning activists like Sanger and ] and deflects attention from claims of racial discrimination in access to reproductive services. She also said the film ignores the racist and eugenicist arguments used by opponents of family planning, and that it implies or states outright that eugenics advocates such as ] and ] supported family planning when in fact they opposed it.<ref name="goldberg"/> Goldberg characterizes the film as dishonest ].<ref name="goldberg">{{cite web |url=http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/2341/anti-choice_doc_aims_to_link_reproductive_rights_to_%25E2%2580%2598black_genocide%25E2%2580%2599 |title=Anti-Choice Doc Aims to Link Reproductive Rights to ‘Black Genocide’ |date=March 9, 2010 |last=Goldberg |first=Michelle |work=Religion Dispatches |accessdate=November 16, 2011}}</ref> On the '']'' magazine weblog, Eva McKend similarly criticizes the conclusions of the film, arguing that black women have high rates of unintended pregnancy due to income inequalities that prevent access to effective contraception.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/03/11/they-may-ballyhoo-well-stay-focused-on-black-women/ |last=McKend |first=Eva |publisher=Ms. Blog |title=They May Ballyhoo, We’ll Stay Focused on Black Women |accessdate=2010-12-03}}</ref> | ||
| Reviewers of the film have generally criticized its false attribution of racist views to family planning activists, as well as the other false claims it makes to tie genocide to family planning and the fact that it blames the high abortion rate among black women on a conspiracy rather than on unequal socioeconomic conditions. | |||
| ⚫ | Esther Katz, editor and director of the Margaret Sanger Papers Project at ], questions the scholarship behind ''Maafa 21'''s portrayal of Sanger and her racial views. She said quotes attributed to Sanger are taken out of context or simply fabricated. While criticizing the film's depiction of Sanger as a genocidal eugenicist, Katz concedes that "Sanger made mistakes" and "was very naïve" in her campaign to legalize contraception.<ref>Frank N. Carlson, "Anti-abortionists Accuse Knoxville Planned Parenthood of 'Black Genocide'," MetroPulse, June 2, 2010. http://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/jun/02/anti-abortionists-accuse-knoxville-planned-parenth/?printer=1/</ref><ref name="metropulse">Frank N. Carlon, "Meet Mark Crutcher, the Man Behind Maafa 21," MetroPulse, June 2, 2010 http://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/jun/02/meet-mark-crutcher-man-behind-maafa-21/</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Writer ] argued that the film falsely attributes racist views to family planning activists like Sanger and ] and deflects attention from claims of racial discrimination in access to reproductive services. She also |
||
| ⚫ | Marcy Darnovsky, PhD and associate executive director of the ], writes that the film is a "]" used to support the activities of the black pro-life movement. Darnovsky quotes legal scholar ] who said that the black pro-life movement is "blaming black women for their reproductive decisions and then the solution is to restrict and regulate black women's decisions about their bodies... Ironically, they have that in common with eugenicists."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=5664 |last=Darnovsky |first=Marcy |title=Behind the New Arizona Abortion Ban |date=April 7, 2011 |work=Biopolitical Times |accessdate=November 16, 2011}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Esther Katz, |
||
| ⚫ | Marcy Darnovsky, PhD and |
||
| ==Release and screenings== | ==Release and screenings== | ||
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| Maafa 21 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mark Crutcher |
| Produced by | Life Dynamics |
| Release date | June 15, 2009 |
| Running time | approx. 137 mins |
| Country | United States |
Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America is a 2009 documentary film which draws a connection between African Americans being historically affected by the eugenics movement in the United States, and the modern-day prevalence of abortion among African Americans. The film makes the case that abortion is an attempted genocide or maafa of black people, and has been so since the 19th century.
The film has been variously praised and condemned by parties on both sides of the abortion debate, particularly in light of its unfavorable depiction of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, who was involved in the eugenics movement in the early 20th century. Pro-life activists have said that the film is an exposé of the racism of the modern abortion industry, especially Planned Parenthood. Critics have called it a shockumentary and propaganda for, according to them, distorting the role of Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood in the eugenics movement of the early 20th century, and for misinterpreting Sanger's position about black women and family planning, and for blaming racism rather than social conditions for the prevalence of abortion among black populations in America.
Synopsis
The title comes from the Swahili term "Maafa", which means "tragedy" or "disaster", and is used to describe the centuries of oppression of African people, globally, during slavery, apartheid and colonial rule. "21" refers to the maafa of the 21st century, which the film says is abortion by black women. The film discusses some of Planned Parenthood's origins (formerly the American Birth Control League), attributing to it a "150-year-old goal of exterminating the black population." It attacks Margaret Sanger, along with other birth control advocates, as a racist eugenicist.
Reception
Support
In a review for The New American, Rebecca Terrell praised Maafa 21 as "an explosive exposé of the racist eugenics agenda of the abortion industry in the United States."
Pro-life activists praise the film as a tool in their campaign against abortion rights, choosing to believe its claims although they are unfamiliar with the history of family planning or with the research that supposedly went into making the film.
Criticism
Writer Michelle Goldberg argued that the film falsely attributes racist views to family planning activists like Sanger and Gunnar Myrdal and deflects attention from claims of racial discrimination in access to reproductive services. She also said the film ignores the racist and eugenicist arguments used by opponents of family planning, and that it implies or states outright that eugenics advocates such as Charles Davenport and Adolf Hitler supported family planning when in fact they opposed it. Goldberg characterizes the film as dishonest propaganda. On the Ms. magazine weblog, Eva McKend similarly criticizes the conclusions of the film, arguing that black women have high rates of unintended pregnancy due to income inequalities that prevent access to effective contraception.
Esther Katz, editor and director of the Margaret Sanger Papers Project at New York University, questions the scholarship behind Maafa 21's portrayal of Sanger and her racial views. She said quotes attributed to Sanger are taken out of context or simply fabricated. While criticizing the film's depiction of Sanger as a genocidal eugenicist, Katz concedes that "Sanger made mistakes" and "was very naïve" in her campaign to legalize contraception.
Marcy Darnovsky, PhD and associate executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, writes that the film is a "shockumentary" used to support the activities of the black pro-life movement. Darnovsky quotes legal scholar Dorothy Roberts who said that the black pro-life movement is "blaming black women for their reproductive decisions and then the solution is to restrict and regulate black women's decisions about their bodies... Ironically, they have that in common with eugenicists."
Release and screenings
The film was released on June 15, 2009, and the premiere screening was held on June 18, 2009, on the eve of Juneteenth, at the United States Capitol Visitor Center.
References
- Rebecca Terrell (7 January 2010). ""Maafa 21" Exposes Black Genocide". The New American. John Birch Society. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Frank N. Carlon, "Meet Mark Crutcher, the Man Behind Maafa 21," MetroPulse, June 2, 2010 http://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/jun/02/meet-mark-crutcher-man-behind-maafa-21/
- ^ Goldberg, Michelle (March 9, 2010). "Anti-Choice Doc Aims to Link Reproductive Rights to 'Black Genocide'". Religion Dispatches. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- McKend, Eva. "They May Ballyhoo, We'll Stay Focused on Black Women". Ms. Blog. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
- Frank N. Carlson, "Anti-abortionists Accuse Knoxville Planned Parenthood of 'Black Genocide'," MetroPulse, June 2, 2010. http://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/jun/02/anti-abortionists-accuse-knoxville-planned-parenth/?printer=1/
- Darnovsky, Marcy (April 7, 2011). "Behind the New Arizona Abortion Ban". Biopolitical Times. Retrieved November 16, 2011.