FILM
A Space to Recognize Black Filmmaking THE BLACK MOVIE HALL OF FAME AIMS TO ADJUST OUR CULTURAL DISCOURSE By Abby Olcese Kansas City’s cultural contributions to the world at large are vast. We’re the home of the country’s best barbecue, the starting point of Negro League baseball’s Golden Age, and the birthplace of musical greats like Charlie Parker and Big Joe Turner. But one of the less-often discussed points is our region’s historical connection to cinema— particularly cinema’s rich relationship to Black culture. Shawn Edwards wants to help change that. “I don’t think there are too many other cities that have the richness of Black history and culture that Kansas City does related to America’s cultural landscape and impact globally,” Edwards, a film critic on Fox 4 News, says. “There’s a lot of history here, and the film component belongs right there in the mix.” Edwards is also the director of the Black Movie Hall of Fame, which will cel-
Fame, supporters can buy limited prints of Harvey’s artwork featuring the inductees through the Boone Theater’s website at boonetheaterkc.com. “This is going to be an immersive experience. We want to have a film series tied to the Hall of Fame, screen movies, bring in filmmakers, and create seminars all related to Black film,” Edwards says. “We want it to appeal to people and be a dynamic experience, as exciting for a 16-year-old as a 50-year-old.”
Reviving the Boone Theater The Black Movie Hall of Fame is part of a larger project to renovate the historic Boone Theater. In its heyday, the building sat alongside the Eblon, Lincoln, and Gem theaters as part of the vibrant jazz-age culture that defined Kansas City from the 1920s through the ‘40s.
Above (L to R): Don Cheadle, Janelle Monáe, Harry Belafonte, and Oscar Micheaux. Portraits by Warren “Stylez” Harvey Below: Hattie McDaniel— Wichita-born Black Movie Hall of Fame inductee and first African
“I’ve almost gone bankrupt trying to produce projects on the history of Black film. All these projects are finally starting to pay off, but this project is perhaps the most exciting.” ebrate Black contributions to the medium nationwide. The Hall will live in the renovated Boone Theater—itself a landmark of film, performing arts, and Black culture—in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. “The history of Black film has never been properly documented. There are so many things people don’t know, and I get annoyed with the narrative,” Edwards says. “We want to celebrate talented Black filmmakers who have been producing great films for as long as Hollywood’s existed, and create a place for discussion and dialogue.” The Black Movie Hall of Fame will take up part of the Boone Theater, as it becomes a multi-use space upon renovation. The Hall itself will include portraits of inductees by Kansas City-based artist Warren “Stylez” Harvey, interactive displays on the history of Black filmmaking, and programming that will take advantage of the Boone’s functioning theater space. As a fundraising effort for the Hall of
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THE PITCH | May 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM
Shomari Benton, co-founder of the Vine Street Collaborative development group, says he was raised with stories about the area. He still has a photo of his grandparents dining together at the theater in the 1940s. “I’m 43, born and raised here, and a lot of the buildings in this neighborhood were decommissioned when I was born,” Benton says. “I grew up hearing stories about the Vine and its history and how great it was. Growing up, the physical form didn’t match those stories. But now it seems like we’ve kind of caught lightning in a bottle.” Benton and his partners Tim Duggan and Jason Parson are part of a growing movement to restore similar institutions in the historic area. Another Vine Street Collaborative project, 2000 Vine, redeveloped a historic neighborhood building to house office and retail space including Vine Street Brewing Co., the region’s first Black-owned
American to win an Academy Award—in a 1951 episode of Beulah. Courtesy of CBS Radio
