Reflection on Coal Black Voices

Although we did not see this entire film, the poems that we did hear read, were very powerful and included some interesting themes. I also liked how the filmmakers showed the original poets reading their own poems both in a personal way and in a more stage oriented performance. Additionally, I liked that we also got to see some personal interviews from some of the poets and their opinions on certain issues. Overall, as a film student, I liked how there was a good mix of live performances, studio performances, and personal interviews with the poets.
I never really was somebody who read poetry for entertainment, and usually did not enjoy it when it was taught in school. This film, however, made poetry at least more interesting especially because the authors read the poems. I also liked that there were some poems that were performed with a type of dance. This added a different dimension to the typical poetry reading and it made it that more interesting. Still, however, I do not find poetry to be one of my favorite forms of art. On the other hand, the fact that the performances were filmed, enabled the filmmakers to add different effects and show different angles that one might see while watching live at the performance.
I also liked this film because it exposed me to a kind of art, especially poetry, that I had never heard of before. “Affralachian” poetry is certainly an interesting name and an ingenious way to create an identity for people who may not feel a strong identity to the Appalachian region. The term does not mean that they want to create a separate identity from the rest of Appalachia. Instead, they want to be part of it, but with their unique part.
While I was looking online about Coal Black Voices, I found this quote from Frank X. Walker, “One of the things I've encountered traveling outside of Kentucky is having to defend the fact that people of color actually live here... I'm trying to say, not only are we here, we're here in a very large way, we're part of Kentucky's history, we're part of the landscape…” I never really thought of it before, but I remember sometimes just assuming that much of Appalachia was white. After seeing this documentary, I now realize that African Americans or Affralachians have contributed a lot to Appalachian culture and society. In fact, according to Appalachian Regional Commission, African Americans are only second in population to whites and between 1990 and 2000; the African American population grew by 15%, which is the second fastest growing minority in the region.
This film changed my opinion of poetry at least a little. It helped me to see the people that actually wrote the poems and then listen to them read their poems as they were intended to be read. This film also showed me how African Americans have contributed to the culture of Appalachia and how they are so important to Appalachia’s continued growth.