The Politics of Race in American Film: Episode 2, Race, Space, and The City

In this episode of The Politics of Race in American Film podcast, Dr. Clive James Nwonka discusses the films Paterson and The Last Black Man in San Francisco with Dr. Suzanne Hall (LSE Sociology) and Dr. Austin Zeiderman (LSE Geography and the Environment). Both films examine the relationships their main characters have with the cities in which they live, work, and create, but the protagonists of each film, Paterson and Jimmie, have radically different experiences of urban life. This conversation explores why some people’s belonging in a city is questioned or denied, the varying depictions of multicultural and multi-ethnic cities, and the resilience of Black creativity in the face of threats from the system. Contributors: Dr. Suzanne Hall, Associate Professor in Sociology and Director of the Cities Programme, LSE; Dr. Austin Zeiderman, Associate Professor of Geography, LSE; Dr. Clive James Nwonka, Fellow International Inequalities Institute, LSE