About Is It Cuz We Black? A New Take on Old Movies.
Nostalgia vs. Reality: Do the classics hold up?
We all have those classic movies we absolutely love. But have you ever sat down to rewatch one recently and thought... wait, what were they thinking? Sister filmaker Veronica Manning and I decided to try and figure that out.
Is It Cuz We Black? is a new podcast where we view Black cinema’s greatest hits (and cult favorites) through a modern lens to find out if they truly hold up to today's standards.
We're Digging Into:
The Nostalgia Trap: Why our childhood memories lie to us.
Modern Standards: How changing culture changes how we watch.
The Rewatch Factor: Is it still an enjoyable masterpiece, or is it unwatchable?
Email me and let us know: What Black classic movie do you think aged the worst? We might just review it next.
Is It Cuz We Black? is streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere you find your podcasts.
Cheers,
Zoe & Veronica
A Man called Adam: I’m mad about you. And a lot of things
This week we're looking at A Man Called Adam the 1966 American drama (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_(film_and_television)) musical film (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_film) directed by Leo Penn (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Penn) and starring Sammy Davis Jr. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Davis_Jr.), Cicely Tyson, Ossie Davis, and Louis Armstrong. A Man Called Adam tells the story of a self-destructive jazz musician, played by Davis, and his tumultuous relationships with the people in his life.
The movie was independently financed and produced through Trace-Mark Productions (https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAEScgHrOzAVO69tz-aVoYS2sKMiIOgWqcPCntUxUAsnOGzpILKKlp0UNEYFbr2jZA6R19oKGayN6lPKRbqRlEjYphDtwnE7vp3nH0vlaghzvGB9D8CRI7PsZVK3IMKT3VtlHsIq0jhPMQP98muWEoPYEnNdTQ) (Sammy Davis Jr.'s own production company) named after his kids Tracey Davis and Mark Davis. alongside producers Isaac "Ike" Jones and James Waters.
13 Sept 2026
Claudine: The Love Project & Mr. Welfare
Today's film is Claudine.
Claudine Price is a single Black mother, living on welfare with six children, who finds love with a garbage collector, Rupert "Roop" Marshall.
The film starred Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs. The film was celebrated for providing an alternative to blaxploitation films of the time and was praised by critics and the public. The production budget was $1.1 million and grossed between $6 million and $9.1 million which was considered a hit of the time.
Diahann Carroll was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. James Earl Jones was nominated for a Golden Globe. Both actors won NAACP Image Awards.
Our Next film is A Man Called Adam (1966) a film that follows the tragic downward spiral of Adam Johnson (Sammy Davis Jr.), a brilliant jazz trumpet player tormented by guilt and severe alcoholism. Despite finding brief inspiration through a relationship with civil rights activist Claudia Ferguson, his self-destructive behavior and industry pressures culminate in a fatal collapse on stage….we’re looking for a man named adam to watch the movie and to be on the podcast
23 Aug 2026
Gone Are The Days: Integrationary Ideas
Welcome Back! Today we're deep diving into Gone Are The Days AKA Purlie The Victorius
Synopsis: An idealistic young man returns to the plantation where he grew up in servitude. He brings his fiancée Lutiebelle but hopes to convince the plantation owner that she is really his cousin to secure the family inheritance.
Screenplay by Ossie Davis
Cast
Ossie Davis as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
Ruby Dee as Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins
Sorrell Booke as Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee
Alan Alda as Charlie Cotchipee
Godfrey Cambridge as Gitlow Judson
Beah Richards as Idella Landy
9 Aug 2026
Cabin In The Sky: An Old Take on Second Chances
Welcome back to Is It Cuz We Black?
On this episode, we are revisiting the 1943 classic, Cabin in the Sky. Cabin in the Sky tells the story of Lil Joe Jackson a down and out gambler who dies in a bar fight but gets 6 months to save his soul.
The story stars Ethel Waters (Petunia), Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (Little Joe), and Lena Horne (Georgia Brown). It also features performances by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.
The movie was directed by Vincente Minnelli (Liza Minnelli's father) in his feature film directorial debut. Despite being one of Arthur Freed's least expensive musicals for MGM during the 1940s, the movie grossed close to $1.7 million with a profit of about $587,000.
26 Jul 2026
Mahogany : Power Struggles, Poverty, and Politics
Hi, glad you found us!
We're kicking off our first show with the iconic Mahogany. Mahogany was released in 1975. It stars Diana Ross as Tracy Chambers, Billie Dee Williams as her love interest Brian, Anthony Perkins as Sean the troubled photographer, and Jean-Pierre Aumont as Christian Rosetti as her "benefactor."
Letterboxed description:
"MAHOGANY – THE WOMAN EVERY WOMAN WANTS TO BE – AND EVERY MAN WANTS TO HAVE
An aspiring designer from the slums of Chicago puts herself through fashion school in the hopes of becoming one of the world’s top designers. Her ambition leads her to Rome spurring a choice between the man she loves or her newfound success."
Veronica: IG @lifeisluvv
Zoe: iamzoeflowers.com (http://iamzoeflowers.com)
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