I haven't seen the documentary.
Blacker Dread: the record store owner who became Brixton’s hero
The Guardian piece does give me cause for concern. As
editor says his reasons for starting Splash are historically inaccurate. I also wonder whether his assertion that it it was him that persuaded Nelson Mandela to come here is accurate.
As I have had , somewhat fraught, dealings with documentary film with Carlton Mansions I am much more circumspect about documentary film making.
I watched the trailer for the Being Blacker doc. He is very charismatic. Comes across well on camera.
Is he to be taken as represented of the Black experience in Britain? The doc maker Molly seems to think so.
Documentary film isn't historical research. It should be imo but it's not. Blacker Dread is just the kind of person doc makers like. Blacker creates himself as he goes along. Makes his own narrative. As in his version of Splash. He is doc makers dream. You just have to stick the camera in front of him and he performs.
He does show that an aspect of identity is performative. This doesn't mean it's wrong or superficial. It's that when watching docs one must imo keep a distance. A first person doc is not the literal truth. To add Im not critical of Blacker for this.I need to see the doc. I think all people create and recreate the narrative of there lives. Blacker is representative of someone who has had to deal with living in a racist society, also subject to colonialism and the legacy of slavery. Hopefully the doc does explore this.
Someone told me that one of the problems of historical research is that it is the " characters" who come forward first to be recorded. When I read Guardian piece and watched the trailer I thought there are other Afro Carribbean people/ families I know who would be better representation of the immigrant Black experience in London.
