Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/rediscovered-silent-film-black-love_n_5c17eda0e4b08db990566656


"Sometimes a kiss is more than just a kiss.

That’s certainly the case with the lip-lock in “Something Good – Negro Kiss,” an 1898 short silent film that was recently added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for its historic significance, alongside such films as “Jurassic Park” and “The Shining.”

The clip ― showing a couple playfully kissing and clasping hands ― is free of the demeaning racist tropes seen in other depictions of African-Americans at the time.

“It wasn’t racist caricature, not blackface performance, not comedic ridicule,” said University of Chicago’s Allyson Nadia Field, an expert on African-American cinema who helped identify the film and its historical significance.

“The actors appeared joyful and genuine in their affection,” she told HuffPost. “It looks like they’re having fun! And they’re not the butt of any joke or the punchline. This makes the film a rare early cinema artifact.”

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