Rocking out and race in the documentary afro-punk.(culture)

The "Black Rock" revolution, anticipated given the popularity of bands such as Living Colour and Fishbone in the late 80s and early 90s, never arrived. But the brief movement did succeed in spawning and representing a generation of black fans seeking to claim rock music as their own--including 27-year-old documentary filmmaker James Spooner. Growing up as a black punk rock fan in both Southern California and New York, Spooner longed to connect with a community of black fans who both shared his love of punk music and understood his feelings of alienation as a person of color in the mostly white scene. Afro-punk, Spooner's engaging documentary, which began making the festival circuit in summer of 2003, documents the experiences of fans of African descent that have devoted themselves to the music and culture of punk music.

Predictably, cultural duality is a central theme of the film. Most of Spooner's subjects grew up in all-white communities, with mostly white friends. As a result, they have spent years attempting to reconcile their racial identities with their punk rock lifestyle. Most of the usual experiences for black fans of rock music are addressed by Afro-punk's subjects: being one of a handful of black fans at a show, rejection from black peers who accuse them of being "sellouts" or "wanting to be white," being the token black friend within a group of white folks. Some admit to trying to straighten their hair in an attempt to have the long, flowing hair associated with white rockers; others admit that they wished to be white at one point in their lives. For many of these young people, it's possible that this is the first time they've felt comfortable enough to talk about these experiences in public. It is Spooner's identification with his subjects that allows them the comfort level to speak intimately about race issues on camera.

Despite the recent popularity of MTV-ready "pop punk," the underground punk scene has never strayed far from its politically radical origins. However, the punk scene's primarily white, middle-class fan base sidelined issues of race. Some of Spooner's subjects seem content not to confront race issues within the punk community, even while remaining aware of their own ambivalence. Mariko Jonez, a pixieish DJ and zinc publisher in her early twenties, strives to defy the stereotypes and conventions placed upon her as a person a color ...