Slow Fade to Black: The Negro in American Film 1900-1942

Author: Thomas Cripps
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1993
Pages: 447
ISBN: 195021304

Slow Fade to Black: The Negro in American Film, 1900-1942, by Thomas Cripps, is a landmark 1977 book chronicling the history of African Americans in early American cinema, examining both their limited roles and achievements, and the pervasive racism in Hollywood, from the rise of segregationist tropes (like the "happy slave") following films like The Birth of a Nation to the emergence of independent Black filmmakers like Oscar Micheaux. Cripps's work links cinematic portrayals to broader American racial attitudes, highlighting discrimination and the efforts to counter negative stereotypes, making it a foundational text for understanding Black history and film studies.