Top 9 Must-See Black Films

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While it’s nice to have a real life Black president to both praise and criticize, we can look forward to Will Smith turning things around for movie-Presidents in the rumored Independence Day sequel.  In the meantime here is a rundown of the Black Presidents in the movies.

Tom Beck, Deep Impact (1998)

In this late 90s disaster flick President Tom Beck, played by Morgan Freeman, must prepare the world for the E.L.E — extinction level event (We see you Busta!). A 7-mile wide comet is on a collision course with the Earth and only a select few will be granted asylum. President Beck has the daunting task of telling everyone “hey, we found about this a year ago and have been preparing to stop it, but we’re only telling you now.”

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President Limberg, The 5th Element (1997)

In 2263 a Great Evil appears and destroys a Federated Army battleship as it heads to Earth. Tommy “Tiny” Lister is President Limberg, who is not just the HNIC for America, but the entire planet. Once again we get control only when the world is threatened with annihilation.

Mays Gilliam, Head Of State (2003)

In another vote of confidence, alderman Mays Gilliam (played by Chris Rock) is chosen to run for President after the Democratic Party’s original candidate dies. Rock is a man of the people but his own party doesn’t think he’ll win. Thanks to some encouragement from his brother (played by the late Bernie Mac) Mays turns things around. The best part of the movie is watching Rock send Robin Givens packing when he screams “Security!”

Duane Elizondo Camacho, Idiocracy

500 years into the future we’ve all had our brains scrambled by too much Waka Flocka and reality television so an idiot like Duane Elizondo Camacho, played by Terry Crews, gets to be President. Camacho is a former porn star and professional wrestler and with Jess Ventura making it to Governor this doesn’t seem that far fetched.

Douglass Dilman, The Man (1972)

In this 1972 political drama James Earl Jones plays Senate President Douglass Dilman who is handed the keys to the Oval Office when the President and Speaker of the House are killed in a building collapse. The VP declines the office siting age and health. James is the next inline making him “The Man” and the first African-American President of the United States.  In an interview with Greg Braxton of the Los Angeles Times that ran Jan. 16, 2009, four days before Barack Obama was inaugurated as president, Jones was asked about having portrayed the fictional first black U.S. president on film. He replied: “I have misgivings about that one. It was done as a TV special. Had we known it was to be released as a motion picture, we would have asked for more time and more production money. I regret that.”

Thomas Wilson , 2012 (2009)

In what is essentially Noah’s Ark for the modern age Danny Glover plays President Thomas Wilson in yet another disaster movie with a Black Commander-In-Chief. Solar flares are causing the Earth’s temperature to spike triggering natural disasters across the globe.  The only humans who will survive are those with a Billion dollars of spare change to reserve a seat on one of the three massive ships being built.

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Chris Rock played a bit of a practical joke on Danny Glover and Tracy Morgan on the set of their latest film, Death At A Funeral.

From Essence.com

ESSENCE.com: Any particularly funny moments on set?

CHRIS ROCK: I just love Tracy and Danny Glover on the toilet.

TRACY MORGAN: Danny Glover took Ex-Lax before I shot my scene and he pooped on my hand. When I first did that scene I was so subdued and Chris and Neil LaBute, the director, were like “You just got poop on your hand! You have to go crazy!”

ROCK: That really happened, I slipped an Ex-Lax in Danny’s lunch and he didn’t know that he took it.

Read more of Essence’s interview with Chris Rock & Tracy Morgan here!

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VIA: New York Daily News

WASHINGTON – President Obama rejected criticism yesterday that he isn’t doing enough to help black Americans.

“Is there grumbling?” Obama said. “Of course, there’s grumbling, because we just went through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.”

Interviewed by American Urban Radio Networks, Obama got defensive when asked to react to actor/activist Danny Glover’s complaint that he is failing blacks.

“If you want me to line up all the black actors, for example, who support me and put them on one side of the room and a couple who are grumbling on the other, I’m happy to have that,” Obama said.

Several black legislators say Obama must do more for recession-stricken minorities.

Some 15.6% of blacks nationwide are out of work, compared with the overall 10% unemployment rate.

“The only thing I cannot do is, by law, I cannot pass laws that say ‘I’m just helping black folks.’ I’m the President of the entire United States,” Obama said. “What I can do is make sure that I am passing laws that help all people, particularly those who are most vulnerable and most in need.”