A Question of Color

56 minutes, 1993, United States

Producer/Director: Kathe Sandler, Executive Producer: St. Clair Bourne, Co-Writer: Luke Harris

A Question of Color

Educational Streaming

Colleges, Universities, Government Agencies, Hospitals and Corporations

Streaming licenses for institutional use—ideal for education, training, and research.

$150.00

One year of embeddable streaming access for a single institution. Includes captioning support, and easy LMS integration. Perfect for courses, workshops, and staff development.

$300.00

Three years of embeddable streaming access for a single institution. Includes captioning support, and easy LMS integration. Ideal for recurring curriculum use and long-term academic programming.

$500.00

Includes access to downloadable .mp4 video and .srt caption files. Permits secure, password-protected streaming of those files via the licensing institution’s distance learning or internal streaming platform for students, faculty, staff, and on-campus researchers. Docuseek supported embeddable streaming is also supported for the Life of File. Perfect for long-term archiving and flexible institutional access.

$50.00

Available to U.S. licensees only. Shipping (via USPS) and California sales tax (for California customers) will be calculated at checkout.

Community Screening

Short-term use for small groups, organizations, or high school classes (where no admission is charged)

Flexible options for educators, facilitators, and community screenings (where admission is not charged).

$50.00

Streamed via a single access video playback page. For use with your real-time, synchronous group viewing, either in person or in an online meeting. Ideal a single discussion, classroom session, or community gathering.

$75.00

Streamed via Newsreel.org. For use by a single group of up to 100 participants for 30 days. A moderator or instructor will receive a unique secure URL and password to share with students. Ideal for high school and non-college classes.

$100.00

Streamed via Newsreel.org for use by a single course or group of up to 100 participants over a 15-week academic term. A moderator or instructor will receive a unique secure URL and password to share with students. Ideal for use during a single semester.

$50.00

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Home Viewing

48-hour personal streaming rental for in-home use only.

For individual at home viewing

$10.00

Enjoy a 48-hour streaming rental, beginning at checkout, via Newsreel.org for personal, at-home use only.

Home viewing is made available for individuals without institutional access. We encourage you to check with your local public library, college campus, or community organization to see if they already hold a viewing license and a way for you to watch.

By selecting this option, you agree that you will not show the film in any public, group, or classroom setting.

$50.00

Available to U.S. licensees only. Shipping (via USPS) and California sales tax (for California customers) will be calculated at checkout.

A Question of Color is the first documentary to confront a painful and long taboo subject: the disturbing feelings many African Americans harbor about themselves and their appearance. African American filmmaker Kathe Sandler digs into the often subconscious world of "color consciousness," a caste system based on how closely skin color, hair texture and facial features conform to a European ideal.

A Question of Color traces "colorism" back to the sexual subjugation of Black women by slave owners and the preferential treatment their mixed-race children received. The film is especially sensitive to the burdens borne by Black women who often feel devalued by white standards of beauty. Disturbing scenes with teen-age rappers, a Harlem plastic surgeon, a television news anchor and a writer indicate the color problem is still very much with us, affecting employment, friendship and marriage.

This unusually sensitive film can help viewers examine the complex interplay between racial identity, culture and self-image in society and within themselves.

"An extraordinary accomplishment... This documentary is unforgettable. I urge you to see it."
Michelle Wallace, One

"Its sensible, positive messages about self-acceptance in the face-off racism resonate strongly."
New York Times

"Sandler's revelatory exploration is certain to spark conversation and controversy."
New York Daily News

"A free-flowing conversation within the extended family that is Black America. Sandler's tone, by itself, can begin healing the wounds it uncovers."
New York Newsday

A Question of Color

Biographies
Kathe Sandler is a filmmaker whose work includes The Friends (1996), Remembering Thelma (1982), and Finding a Way: New Initiative in Justice for Children. Her work has won a Guggenheim Award and two Prized Pieces Awards from the National Black Programming Consortium. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University/New Brunswick.

Transcript
A Question of Color transcript

Related Titles

Black Is...Black Ain't

Black Is...Black Ain't

One Drop Rule

One Drop Rule

Race - The Power of an Illusion (series)

Race - The Power of an Illusion

Ways to Watch

Educational Streaming

Recommended for Colleges, Universities, Government Agencies, Hospitals and Corporations

Community Screening

Short-term use for small groups, organizations, or high school classes (where no admission is charged)

Home Viewing

48-hour, personal rental for in-home use only, restrictions apply