Boyz 'n the Hood Directed by John Singleton City of Quartz:
Excavating the Future in Los what life is like for the urban black working class in the richest state of the richest often mindless violence of the black gangs against cach other is only matched by the of the state, in the form of the notorious LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department), against all blacks. It shows young children viewing dead bod ses as though Black de up on te pretat on the streets is an curance; growing up to shoot or get shot themselves. But be cause the film's politics are separatist and uncritically capitalist, une sorunons are tn convincing and make for a weak ending.
The answers offered by the film's director (and producer) ghetto are placed firmly within a black separatist and capitalist framework. Ina speech in front of an advertisout the poor blacks 'in order to yuppify the area' and make Fishburne, playing Tre's father, argues that drugs and . make for the population must educate itmusiness in South Contra an muna naor conomy. And that is what outto do, Dy choostis to go to university rather than avenge the death of his friend, murdero by a rival cans Apart from Tre's mother, who is significantly training rogramme, slashed by the Reagan years, offered money for one hundred jobs for high risk vouth in 198k. At the same time the City Council es timated 50,000 youth orbudget of $400 million to the Davis reveris that the leaders of the black gangs of South Central and Watts in the 'SOs, became the political leaders of the Black Panthers ol LA in the Malcolm X in his search for a socialist solution through black self organisation, not separate, capitalist develop ment. It was only with the dereat of this movement, carried out in murderous attacks and killings by the state, that the gangs of LA fell back on fighting each other rather than orgamswis axaust the real enemy.
So Boyz 'n the Hood is documentation of life in the black ghetto and black on black violence, giving a black perspective so often l acking in #tetupes to represent black lives on film; but it offers wrong solutions. Such solumajority, but only available to a small percentage who will create a black petty bourgeoisie so that the exploitation of the black majority will con tinue, albeit in a more humane way. No. 12 Nov. 23, 1991 Page 11-