Sept 5, 7pm Billy Paul: Am I Black Enough For You

Thursday Sept 5, 7pm, Admission: $6.00
Am I Black Enough For You, 2009, Sweden, 87 min
Directed by Göran Olsson. 2009, Sweden, 87 min

Am I Black Enough For You
Directed by Göran Olsson.
Featuring Billy Paul, Blanche Williams, Kenny Gamble, Clive Davis, Questlove, & Schoolly D.

This is the film that spawned the Black Power Mix Tapes.
Drakes Avenues Pictures presents this full-length feature film detailing the sensational story of soul superstar Billy Paul. Am I Black Enough For You tells the in-depth story of the legendary Philadelphia R&B artist, his life-long companionship with his wife Blanche, and details the oppression of African Americans and the continuing American civil rights movement.

Taking its title from the follow-up to Paul s most successful single, Me and Mrs. Jones, Am I Black Enough For Youoffers never-before-seen insight into the now legendary Philadelphia R&B scene which produced some of the most successful songs/albums in modern popular culture. It s candid portrayal compels the viewer to comprehend the experience of racism in America.

As a single, Am I Black Enough For You flopped, and it was a failure that nearly cost Paul his career. Looking back it seems that the lyrics offered too radical a message for the majority of the white market of the seventies.

But if the song had such a radical message, enough to turn away a huge number of fans, why was it released? The answer lies in the relationship between Paul and his record executive Kenny Gamble. Gamble and those around him were prepared to sanction and encourage the release of a single they knew could irreparably damage Paul’s career for the sake of the message it contained.

This was a time in which political affiliations, ambitions and assertions came above friendship and personal success. As a rare example of a successful black American, did Paul have an obligation to act as a leader for his race? Am I Black Enough For You seeks to answer this question.