What three films and their Black characters reveal about America’s ideas on race

David Oyelowo plays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 film Selma, pictured here in a still from the film.

A new book Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World unpacks the lens through which Black characters have been seen. Will Haygood, the author, explores this using three movies.

(Image credit: Selma film)

A new book Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World unpacks the lens through which Black characters have been seen. Will Haygood, the author, explores this using three movies.