Lillian Gish Name Removed Over 'Birth of a Nation'

[rick]

Lillian Gish's Name Removed From Theater Over 'Birth of a Nation'

[erik]

I am kind of torn on this issue.

I think there is a certain amount of political correctness run rampant here. When Lillian starred in BIRTH OF A NATION, and this was back in 1915, no one ever considered the film to be anything but a cinematic masterpiece. I don't know at what point in time the actual message of the film, being in support of White Supremacy and the KKK, all but superseded its artistic merits, probably after World War II, and certainly with the onset of the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s. But as the open letter to Bowling Green states, Lillian did star in dozens of other films after that which demonstrated that she herself did not support the message of BIRTH OF A NATION.

Nevertheless, BIRTH OF A NATION is a great but unfortunate piece of cinematic propaganda in support of stuff that any person with any kind of sensitivity would abhor. No point in arguing that, or even its artistic merits. But leave it at that, and don't victimize a great actress only because of that one singular movie.

[the Scribe]

But this week, such stars as James Earl Jones, Helen Mirren, Martin Scorsese and several leading film scholars released an open letter calling for Bowling Green to retain Gish’s name on the theater. She shared billing with her sister on the theater name. Both were Ohio natives, but not alumnae of the school.Gish shouldn’t be judged by one of many films made over a long career, the letter states.

I agree with Erik on this one. Gish was a treasure but sometimes universities have to worry about money, donors and attracting students. I tried to watch the movie several times but just couldn't nor could I watch the remake. That kind of stuff drives me crazy. So much of it (racism) is carried over today but with a different methodology.

Would we do the same with the remake?





The Birth of a Nation - Full Movie - (1915) 1080p HD - The Masterpiece of Racist Cinema

Khalbrae
Published on Aug 1, 2015
Ultimately, the Civil War was about States Rights. In this case, the State's right to own people and treat them as less than human. Which is why the Confederate flag evokes so much fear for minorities, which were the frequent target of murder (lynching) that was fully permitted by said States. I generally am for "State's Rights" as a concept, but crazy ideas like that are not tolerable. The shockwaves emancipation sent through the south left lingering tensions. Like the Nazi film "Triumph of the Will", D. W. Griffith has created a work of art that ultimately... openly... promotes evil. This film is one of the reasons for the "lazy, criminal rapist black men" stereotypes that still pervade American popular culture to some degree today. Let's use this as a learning tool to improve racial harmony. Get to the root of the myth.

However, this video is one I am posting in recognition of emancipation day. Upper Canada ended slavery in 1810, this becoming a haven for runaway slaves from the American colonies. Windsor Ontario (the Canadian city south of Detroit) has been celebrating Emancipation day since the 1930's. Known as "The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth".