One Drop Rule

When Libby Graham's mother took her out in public as a young girl, the trips were less stressful than outings with her father for the not-so-simple reason that Libby's mother is white, while her father is black. Regardless of her 50/50 parentage, Libby is considered black because of the rather illogical "one drop rule," a turn-of-the-17th-century dictum stating that a single drop of black blood makes one ipso facto black. Like Kathe Sandler's outstanding A Question of Color (VL-4/93), also available from California Newsreel, James Banks' One Drop Rule examines the issue of color consciousness in the black community, interweaving interview clips with a wide range of subjects on the chromatic scale (from "light, bright, damn near white" to midnight black) and historical asides by narrator Todd Bridges. From Clinton Sam, a large, tall black man, who feels threatened when he sees a large, tall black man walking towards him at night, to Giovanna Hughes, who almost took a bath with bleach to lighten her skin, the interviewees' candid remarks address a number of issues, including: black women's resentment over black men dating white women, social and economic advantages of light-skinned blacks, and challenges faced by children from mixed-race relationships. Ultimately, the real questions explored here are what constitutes black and what are the ramifications within the black community of having darker skin. Unfortunately, One Drop Rule is maddeningly repetitive (drawn out--one suspects--to fill an hour programming slot), and while the program is clearly aimed at a college-level audience, the overlaid narration sounds almost juvenile (as if it were being pitched to a junior high crowd). Still, while I much prefer Sandler's film, this one should be considered a strong, optional purchase, especially as few titles are out there addressing this sensitive topic. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)