John Singleton's Films Weren't Just Necessary — They Were Revolutionary

By Melissa Kimble


In the spring of 1991, the police beating of Rodney King sparked a flame in the city of Los Angeles. The violent display of brutality was caught on camera — a powerful and virtually unprecedented part of evidence at the time — however ultimately resulted in the acquittal of the four accused police officers who were involved. The following year, L.A. Finally caught on fire. A series of events referred to because the Los Angeles riots catapulted the city's racial divides to the forefront of the national conversation nevertheless did so in a way that ignored Black life, exacerbated discrimination, and caused L.A. To spin out of control. In the middle of those two essential moments of Black history lies John Singleton’s explosive debut film, Boyz N The Hood.


At 22 years old, the USC grad examined Black life behind the media’s portrayal of it. Black communities weren’t simply war zones, consisting only of illegal narcotics, violence, and hopeless victims of their circumstances without dreams, values, or ambition. Inspired by rap order N.W.A., Singleton's Boyz N The Hood was a testament to his biggest creative influences: hip-hop, Eazy-E, filmmaker Spike Lee, and the city of Los Angeles.


His work would go on to set the stage for films as form of activism, highlighting the everyday realities of Black people In the
U.S. — And opened the doors for the works of Black filmmakers who followed him like Ava DuVernay, Lena Waithe, and Barry Jenkins.


DuVernay credits Singleton among those who helped pave the way for voices like hers.


"There aren’t several of us out here doing this. It’s a little tribe in the grand scheme of things,” she shared in the filmmaker’s memory following his death on April 29. "He was a giant among us. Kind. Committed. And immensely talented. His films broke ground. His films mattered."


And these films broke ground in more ways than one. Singleton's work represented the underrepresented. He embraced hip-hop and its stars, giving big-screen possibilities to controversial artists like Ice Cube and Tupac Shakur. Both rappers had been targets of politicians and the media who felt their music glorified guns and illegal substances — even MTV banned N.W.A.’S "Straight Outta Compton" video. Both of their roles in Singleton’s work signaled new ground for the rappers themselves and showcased how rap and hip-hop were inherently political, rather than just a car for violence.


[L to R] Eddie Murphy, John Singleton, and Ice Cube attend the opening annual MTV Movie & TV Awards


There’s a direct relationship between hip-hop and the plight of the Black community. Singleton used hip-hop music and the talents of its artists for his own activism. And in several ways, he acted as a mentor to them and other young Black actors. "He not only made me a movie star although made me a filmmaker," Ice Cube mentioned following Singleton's death.


And that concept of mentorship is crucial, even for Black creatives.


"I have a ton of mentees," Lena Waithe, who thanked Singleton for his guidance in a remembrance posted to Instagram, told Vanity Fair last year. "They’re all people of color. Some of these are poor. And I’m just attempting to support them learn how to be good writers; and for those that have become really good writers, I help them get representation; and those that have representation, I'd like to help get them jobs. That to me is a form of activism."


His work allowed young Black males and females to break the negative stereotypes of what Black youth were about. Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins — who described Singleton’s untimely passing as “cruel” — is a coming-of-age drama for a new generation of Black males, yet undoubtedly shared the same principle that Singleton had while directing his own tale: that Black boys’ stories deserve to be told. Still today, Black gentlemen are suspended three times as much as white boys and Black ladies six times as much as white women. Likewise, Black youth are five times more likely to just be in a juvenile facility than white youth. Singleton’s message remains loud as ever.


John Singleton allowed Black people, Black youth in particular, to be displayed as fully-realized individuals who weren’t simply victims of their circumstances; they were working to overcoming the systems set in place for Black people to fail. It was bigger and brighter than anything the media at that time could understand. Lucky in Poetic Justice (Tupac Shakur) wasn’t just a mad soul who hated his job, he was a young man who sought to pursue success with his family member in tow. And Higher Learning's Malik (Omar Epps) wasn’t just a fortunate kid who'd to go to college, he was a young student discovering his place in greater society.


Throughout one of the most violent times in country’s history, seeing their humanity wasn’t just required, it was revolutionary.