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John Singleton: African American
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John Singleton's debut film, Boyz N the Hood, critically acclaimed for its realistic treatment of the black urban setting, has contributed greatly to a revival of black films by black filmmakers. Film critic Susan Stark, writing in the Detroit News, claimed that these filmmakers "are an extraordinary group of artists. They are energizing American movies on a scale not seen since World War II, when Hitler forced many of Europe's greats to seek refuge in Hollywood." Whereas the black exploitation films of the 1970s (Shaft, Super Fly) offered stereotyped, violent entertainment for blacks but were often directed or produced by whites, the black films of the late 1980s and the 1990s addressed critical social issues indigenous to the black community. With Baby Boy, Singleton's first film of the millennium and a companion piece to Boyz N the Hood, Singleton closed out the first ten years of his career with yet another socially-significant piece.
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Born September 1, 1754, John married Rebecca Richardson on August 3, 1774. John and Rebecca had five children. Singleton served with his father in the South Carolina militia during the American Revolution and, after the fall of Charleston in 1780, with Francis Marion's partisans. He died on December 5, 1820.
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In 2001, ten years after the release of his first film, Singleton returned to the hood with Baby Boy. The film was considered a companion piece to Boyz N the Hood. The theme of Baby Boy, as described by Stephen Schaefer of The Boston Herald, is "African-American men, who call homes 'cribs,' their buddies 'boys,' and their women 'momma,' resist growing up and taking adult responsibility. They want to remain baby boys." Singleton told The Boston Herald, "The great thing about this movie is it offers a window, almost a mirror, and if they watch it and change their lives, they can change it."
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