Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary tells the story of the Fair Hope Benevolent Society, one of many such organizations that were founded by freed slaves following the Civil War. Fair Hope was established in Alabama in 1888 to help formerly enslaved blacks live productively by pooling resources and labor. Inhabiting adjoining properties, its members crafted a constitution, a dues-paying structure, a somewhat arcane leadership format (including selection of a queen), and protocols for dealing with illness and death. Their sense of ritual and identity was so powerful that they held an annual event with formal trappings and an air of worship. These traditions carried from one generation to the next, and many Fair Hope participants born in the 1920s and '30s speak here with a deep sense of history. About midway through, directors S. Epatha Merkerson and Rockell Metcalf switch their focus to the state of Fair Hope today, specifically their yearly celebration. Now called Foot Wash, the once worshipful occasion has become a lewd festival, rife with prostitution, gambling, automatic weapons, and an aura of lawlessness. But the bawdiness here (including nudity) makes a statement: something happened to Fair Hope over time, and why that occurred is a major point of the film. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
The Contradictions of Fair Hope
(2013) 67 min. DVD: $24.98. Shelter Island/TDC (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 978-1-939517-12-8. Volume 29, Issue 1
The Contradictions of Fair Hope
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