BLACK AND WHITE vs BLACK OR WHITE: Bioethics and Mixed Race FamiliesPosted in Articles, Book/Video Reviews, Communications/Media Studies, Media Archive, My Articles/Point of View/Activities on 2015-03-03 18:54Z by Steven |
BLACK AND WHITE vs BLACK OR WHITE: Bioethics and Mixed Race Families
Black and White, screened at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival and later at the Mill Valley Film Festival, in October 2014. The same title was also used to discuss the film in various film trade publications. However, the filmâs title changed by the time of its USA distribution date, January 30, 2015. The word âandâ was replaced with the word âorâ. That is, the film title became Black or White. Use of the word âandâ better reflects the courage of writer-director Mike Bender [Binder] in broaching contemporary issues around race and class. The film only superficially reflects two entities fighting one another. Much more prominent in the story is a struggle for Black and White to save each other. Bender [Binder] dares to suggest, we might all be in this mess together, sinking or swimming. Ignoring antebellum period themes, itâs a new take…
…Obvious bioethical concerns in Black and White include concerns for the best surrogate for a child whose parents are no longer able to parent; the age of autonomous decision making for children and historical injustices inherent in racism and classicism. The role of grief, acute and prolonged, in the context of substance abuse stands out. In the end it is the lagging of social construction, far behind the science of the human genome, that keeps viewers watching.
Stephen [Steven] Riley wrote an analysis of stresses, those identifying as Mixed Race, felt in filling out Box 9 on the 2010 United States census. He describes people agonizing about accurately portraying their racial identity. Riley states âFor those who desire to portray their âaccurate racialâ identity, I have news for you â âracial accuracyâ is an oxymoron. âRaceâ as a biological, or anthropological construct is an utter fallacyâ…
Read the entire article here.