The History of "Black" and "Inter-racial" Porn Videos

Yesterday I heard from a feminist PhD candidate who is looking into the history of black actresses in porn.

To my amazement, she'd discovered that a million years ago (1986!) I'd written a story about the phenomenon of "black and inter-racial" videos in the porn biz for Adult Video News. She asked me if I could dig up a copy.

In traditional porn parlance, "inter-racial" used to imply "Black And White." Period.

Before the 90s, you didn't have any such thing as "multi-culturalism" in porn. There weren't any scenes with a Latina actress/Asian actor— or a bi-racial triad. This was before the amateur explosion, before the Internet, before DVDs.... you know, the Jurassic Age. "Black" sex movies were a tiny niche that were primarily sold to regional markets; no one talked about them.

All the directors of these films, at that time, were white— often people who dreaded their assignment:

Drea remembers her astonishment when she found out that a lot of her viewing audience assumed that she was black. In fact, Drea is a blonde who grew up in a  segregated Chicago neighborhood. She remembers, "When Harold Washington first got elected (Chicago's first black mayor), my father was going to get a gun and shoot himself."

"After every black video I'd make," says Drea, "I'd always say, 'I'll never shoot another Black video again. Never.'"

In porn starlet interviews from these early days, they'd pose questions like, "What Won't You Do on Camera?"

The most common reply from a blond ingenue would be, "I don't do anal, and I don't do blacks." Instead of greeting that statement with laughter or disbelief, everyone would just say, "Oh yeah, of course."

As for black actors, the situation, as you'll read in my story, makes Blacksploitation film look like William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator.

And... the real treat in all this, if you hunt around, is the single "Black Power" porn film that was made in 1974, called Lialeh. It was produced by Aretha Franklin's drummer at the time, Bernard Purdy. Purdy furnishes a soundtrack that puts most porn films to shame, as you can imagine. (See video clip here). Classic Woodstock Soul Meets The Panthers! I can watch this cult classic today and still get the biggest kick out of it.

When I started researching the story, I was taken aback by the prejudices and superstitions in the business. Everyone was so frank about their own racism, frustration, and cynicism. Porn biz people were outspoken about what Hollywood people had learned to keep to themselves, and off the record. If any of it blows your mind, don't imagine that these industry diehards were exceptional!

In 1987, no one wrote about porn for the mainstream press. I was the first to interview many of these people on any topic, let alone politics. AVN was produced in Pennsylvania at the time, just a small operation, and they were horrified by what I turned in. They killed the original story, and ran an aborted-version instead. It's a trade magazine, designed to promote and champion the industry— they weren't interested in critical views. I was... 20-something, naive, crushed.

So here it is, the quaint original...  I hope you'll forgive my youthful stylings and typewriter errors, but it sure has a lot to savor:

Download Susie's  Inter-Racial and Black Videos.pdf (6198.5K)

Also, if you're interested in this subject, and want a little more analysis, read my own favorite story on the subject, "White Sex".

Comments

[Lee Stranahan]

I'm so glad I subscribe now. Only Susie. From Zip Car to Inter-racial!

Fascinating, third rail topic. If Obama wanted to open the discussion on race, the sexualization of race is surely part of it, so be careful what you ask for. With the mainsteaming of porn, lesbian kisses impossible NOT to see, BDSM Barbies and swingers on CBS in primetime - race play is one of the few taboos left that's still consenting adults and doesn't involve distasteful excretions. (Although, it COULD of course....)

[Susie Bright]

Technical note: I am so frustrated to see that Safari is not downloading my story link properly. Firefox works like a charm. It's my blog program; ssomething is up. I just wrote to their HELP! section, but in the meantime, please use Firefox, or email me, and I'll send you a copy. It's just a text PDF, nothing big.

[Nudemuse]

Thanks for posting that. I've got it saved and printed to read a bit later on tonight.

[Dan Gambiera]

An old joke from the days of segregation ends

"Come on up, Rastus. They don't mind going to bed with us. They just don't want to go to school with us"

except that in those days, I suppose they did mind.

It's made visual porn a little different for my wife and me. She's Afro-Asian. I'm White. There's not much out there that speaks to us, let alone without all sorts of weird and unwholesome cultural baggage. After watching a particularly tedious flick she asked "Am I supposed to be the exotic submissive slut or the big booty gangsta ho?" (Just for the record, she's neither).

Speaking of unwholesome baggage I'll leave you with a few words and a really horrible visual. Condaleeza. Dubya. Uhura. Kirk. Role Play. Now your evening as been just as ruined as mine...

[Anne]

"Am I supposed to be the exotic submissive slut or the big booty gangsta ho?"

Ha! Funny as hell! Patience, (good) information, and a dollop of humor is required in your arduous search for the perfect (or at least close to it!) porn (like any other entertainment!) for you and your wife:-)!

Well, Dan, personally as an African-American woman (Nigerian), I'm sick of the titles such as "Dirty Black Bitches 55" type crap. So, for you and your wife, depending on your tastes, I say, go for the following:

"Under The Covers" (Candida Royalle, dir.) None of that "Dirty Black Bitches 55," or "Submissive Asian Sluts" bullshit here! Just finding out what people do under the covers is different from what they claim in public...

"Afrodite Superstar" (Candida Royalle, dir.) Same here, except a girl who tries to go "gangsta" in her music career as a rapper. But does she get her man? You'll have to watch to find out....

AND FINALLY -

If you people aren't looking for a story, go for the "Chemistry" series (Vols. 1-4, dir. Tristan Taormino). Just good-looking, vibrant, and smart people having THE TIME of their lives (esp. Vol. 4, where Sinnamon Love is voted as the "Slut of the House"! - just because she was the horniest...and not because she was the "oversexed Black chick":-)...

Believe me, Dan, I know the feeling! Just keep trying, and you will find it! Hopefully, I've given you a good start...

Anne.