I am always amused by this idea of 'accuracy'. If black people depended on
accuracy in western made movies we'd grow extremely long hair! We've been
misrepresented and stereotyped to such a degree that to redress the balance
would take a number of lifetimes. I have done extensive history and heritage
work with the West Indian Ex-servicemen and women's Association, and know a
number who served in the Royal Air Force in WW2. Indeed they were the
pioneers who came back to Britain on their troopship, the Windrush, to start
the post war reconolisation in reverse!
A notable one who recently passed over to the ancestors was Cy Grant, who
was shot down over Germany and a prisoner of war for a number of years. He
felt that he experienced less racism from the Germans as a prisoner of war,
than he did later, living in the UK!
He became very prominent here during the late 1950s and early 1960s, as when
he was unable to earn a living from his chosen profession, the law, through
racist practices at the Inns of Court, he became an actor and a calypso
composer and singer. He ironically, gained tremendous recognition in this
role, appearing every night on national television, singing calypsos about
current affairs after the evening news and magazine programmes.
Britain was prepared to accept him in this role but not as a lawyer or war
hero! His trajectory seemed to me similar to that of Paul Robeson in a
previous era in the US. Remember that African American serviceman had to
serve in the French forces in WW1 to gain any recognition from their own
nation and carry out a campaign in order to serve in a segregated one in
WW2.
I have info on a substantial number of Black British air crew who flew
missions over Germany, indeed one who appears to have flown the record for
crews over Germany as a navigator and who was never recognised or received
any decorations for his efforts. The WIESA campaigned on his behalf quoting
his exemplary record, to no avail. This is very common, as y'all would know,
so the striving for 'accuracy' in the visual representation of people who
aren't European has to continually struggle against the powerful tendency in
these genres to marginalize, caricature or totally obscure our roles. To be
insulted on top by having a dog character called 'Nigger' just adds further
ignominy!
I'll settle for a few films that totally misrepresent us by showing us in
leading roles in these contexts, as surely we actually played such roles
e.g. Eustace Tull and Norman Manley in World War One. I've had my fill of
fantasy such as white American troops storming to the defence of Burma when
not a single one entered that theatre of war but large numbers of Indian,
African and Caribbean troops did!
'Plus ca change'
D. Thomas
Devon C Thomas
-----Original Message-----
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Marika Sherwood
Sent: 14 June 2011 15:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mr Fry's Dam Busters and the N-word
I dont know. Maybe the West Indian Ex-servicemen's organisation has
this info
On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:14:19 +0100
Blackpresence Website <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> My question is ....were there any West Indian Air Crew involved in
>the
> breaking of the Dams? Or were there any West Indian, or Indian
> Aircrew
> stationed at the airfields in which the Damb busters were
>training...if so,
> they should be represented. I however, don't believe they should be
> included in the film just as a nod to their service.
> I like accuracy in historical films, and actually believe that the
>dog
> should be called nigger because the original dog was called nigger.
> If that
> makes Guy Gibson look like a product of the times then so be it.
>
>
>
> On 10 June 2011 18:01, Marika Sherwood <[log in to unmask]>
>wrote:
>
>> If Stephen Fry is remaking the Dam Busters, then he should be
>>'reminded'
>> of the West Indian and African aircrew. It seems he is reachable on
>>Twitter
>> - but I don't 'do' Twitter. So could someone who does Twit him?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Kind Regards,
> Phil Gregory - Editor / Author
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Black Presence Website - Black History, Icons, Current Events.
>
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>
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>
> *Twitter:* @blackpresence
>
> *email:* [log in to unmask]
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