BLACK ENUF*
Film poster for "black enuf*" with illustration of young girl's head in red background.
BLACK ENUF*
Film poster for "black enuf*" with illustration of young girl's head in red background.
A queer oddball seeks approval from Black peers despite a serious lack of Hip-Hop credentials

BLACK ENUF*

Regular price $129.00
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BEST ANIMATION - Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival | BEST DOCUMENTARY - Trans Stellar Film Festival

African American • Queer • Mental Health • Coming of Age • Family • Animation • Cinema & Media • Race & Ethnicity • Youth Collection • Gender Studies • Stereotypes

Date of Completion: 2016 | Run Time: 23 minutes​​ | Language: English with English & Spanish subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript & Study Guide | Director: Carrie Hawks | Producer: Carrie Hawks

In black enuf*, a Queer oddball seeks approval from Black peers despite a serious lack of Hip-Hop credentials and a family that ‘talks white’. The quest for a Black Card (undeniable acceptance of their racial identity) takes them from Missouri, to New York, and halfway around the world. This animated documentary examines the expanding black identity through a personal journey. The filmmaker interweaves stories from their great-grandmother’s autobiography, interviews of family & friends, and hand-drawn memories. Tongue-and-cheek humor makes such a heavy topic easier to digest. The visuals mix Monty Python style cut-outs, infographics, watercolor, and a variety of illustrative styles. We’re all on a quest for acceptance.

Colorlines
"mixes animation with family interviews and dry humor to explore their... Blackness and LGBTQ identity"

New York Times | Tamara Best
“recalls the journey for acceptance”

Black Girl Nerds
“It explores their identity and the long, winding journey it took to arrive at a comfortable place with it. Their tongue-in-cheek humor and honesty made this film resonate.”

Kansas City Star | Jeneé Osterheldt
“Creating a dialogue will help ease the burdens so many teens carry.”

Philadelphia Gay News | Gary Kramer
"Carrie Hawks’ fabulous short “black enuf*” mixes hand-drawn animation and interviews with friends and family members. Hawks recounts personal struggle finding irrefutable acceptance in the Black community and in the Queer community. Hawks details their family’s history and genetic make-up, as well as how stereotypes about food, “talking white,” skiing, religion and images from television impact their cultural identification and assimilation."

Barnard Magazine | Elicia Brown
“I was deeply moved by the film and happy to see the students engaged.”

Annaleigh Sage Bergman (Facebook post after PBS Screening)
"Hawks’ new film, black enuf*, is an animated documentary that mines the filmmaker’s personal journey to ask questions about race, including how identifying as queer can complicate the quest to fit into the black community."

Carrie Hawks confronts self-imposed and external assumptions about identity in order to promote healing, particularly in relation to Blackness, gender, and queer sexuality. They work in animation, drawing, collage, sculpture, and performance, often incorporating humor. Their film black enuf* was nominated for a New York Emmy, won Best Documentary Short at Trans Stellar Film Festival, was broadcast on American Public Television’s World Channel in 2019, and screened at over 40 festivals including Ann Arbor and BlackStar. They taught Experimental Animation at Parsons and have curated programs for the Ann Arbor Film Festival and ASIFA-East.