No New Negroes is a provocative film that reimagines the cultural debates of the Harlem Renaissance through a contemporary lens. Inspired by Fire!!, the radical 1926 literary journal, and Wallace Thurman’s opening short story, Cordelia the Crude, the film examines the enduring struggle for Black artistic expression under the constraints of racialized exile and respectability politics. By positioning modern challenges to artistic autonomy as a continuation of these historical tensions, the film underscores the persistent stakes of creativity as a site of resistance and liberation.
Speaking directly to the experiences of Black scholars, artists, and intellectuals, No New Negroes interrogates the commodification of Black creativity and the boundaries imposed on authentic expression. Grounded in its historical context yet engaging with the ongoing relevance of these struggles, the film invites critical reflection on how art challenges societal expectations and navigates the complexities of exile. Thoughtful, evocative, and incisive, No New Negroes opens a vital dialogue about the continuity of Black cultural critique and the transformative power of artistic resistance.
