Stickin’ It To The Man

In the early 1900’s the term “The Man” was used to describe a boss figure. This term later began to be applied to anyone who hassled a group of people and eventually to anyone in a position of power.

In the 1960’s “The Man” began to see widespread usage by the Black Power movement to describe the white oppressors that the movement was fighting against. A number of newspapers from the era used the term, and it quickly gained currency, both among Black activists and those who struggled in solidarity with them.

During the 1970’s the term “The Man” became a part of the vernacular of the Blaxploitation film era. “The Man” referred to the police, the mob, the politicians and anyone who was white with power. In most cases “The Man” held the key to the destruction or redemption of Black characters in these films.

There were a number of white actors and actresses who got their start in Blaxploitation films and saw their careers take off after they made their Blaxploitation film debuts. The Museum of UnCut Funk presents a new visual DocuFunk short called “The Man” that pays homage to Blaxploitation’s “other” stars.

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