why everyone should see "the black list project"

HBO and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston have partnered to create one of the most powerful documentaries and photographic exhibitions of the 21st century. Now being exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York City, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell present snippets of the lives of 25 artists, actors, activists, curators, athletes, etc. who speak candidly about their American experiences in The Black List Project: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell.

The interviews of Serena Williams, Lorna Simpson, Thelma Golden, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Chris Rock are by far the most thought-provoking.

You can find most of the interviews on Youtube and at www.blacklistproject.com Check out a portion of Serena Williams' interview below:

sports, the body, and aesthetics

In Serena Williams' interview from The Black List Project, she describes herself as the most underestimated 8-time Grand Slam champion to ever exist, questioning why her critics immediately accuse her of "overpowering" her opponents because of her sheer physicality, instead of crediting her with being a sound, mentally strategic player.

Williams' statement sparked a curiosity in me because at that moment, I realized that Serena's athletic performance is often overshadowed by her physical presence on and off of the tennis court, and is even more often, disconnected from her brilliance as an intelligent, opportunistic player. This example illustrates a type of gaze that guises itself as spectatorship. If we can "read" the body in visual art, performance, and fashion, is it possible to do so in the realm of sports?

It is undeniable that certain aesthetic "standards" for black bodies, especially in sports, are constantly produced and reproduced. Check out the Nike Basketball commercial below and think about the ways in which the body is presented and even aestheticized for athletic display. Comments are most certainly welcome.

Image: Hank Willis Thomas, Scarred Chest, 2004.