Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation is a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation." It is a film genre which emerged in the United States in the early 1970s when many exploitation films were made that targeted the urban African American audience. The films featured primarily black actors, and were the first to have soundtracks of funk and soul music. Although criticized by civil-rights groups for their use of stereotypes, they addressed the great and newfound demand for afrocentric entertainment, and were immensely popular among black audiences.

Famous blaxploitation films

• Cotton Comes to Harlem was written and directed by the African American Ossie Davis in 1970.
• Watermelon Man (1970) and Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) were directed by Melvin Van Peebles, an African American.
• Shaft (1971) features Richard Roundtree as Shaft, and the soundtrack has contributions from such prominent musicians as Isaac Hayes. Perhaps the most famous blaxploitation film, it has even entered the Library of Congress. It spawned two sequels, Shaft's Big Score (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973).
• Superfly (1972) had a soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield, and is considered to be a classic of the genre.
• Blacula (1972)
• Trouble Man (1972)
• Black Caesar (1973)
• Blackenstein (1973)
• Cleopatra Jones (1973)
• Coffy (1973)
• The Mack (1973)
• Foxy Brown features the charismatic actress Pam Grier as Foxy Brown (1974)
• Truck Turner (1974)
• Willie Dynamite (1974)
• Boss Nigger (1975)
• Darktown Strutters (1975)
• Dolemite (1975)
• Mandingo (1975)
• Passion Plantation (1976)
• The Wiz (1978) (an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz)