This clip comes from a documentary, called âNo Vietnamese Ever Called Me N***â. It was released in 1968 and directed by David Loeb Weiss.
The film follows a massive 1967 protest march that started in Harlem and ended at the United Nations. Instead of using a traditional narrator, it relies on âcinĂ©ma vĂ©ritĂ©â footageâjust capturing real people on the street and a sit-down interview with three Black Vietnam veterans who were trying to make sense of fighting for a country that didnât treat them as full citizens.
The atmosphere in the country at the time was incredibly tense and heavy with a sense of âdouble consciousness.â People in the community felt a lot of pressure to stay quiet; there was a very real fear that if you spoke up against the war or joined a protest, youâd be labeled a âcommunistâ or a troublemaker and lose your job or your apartment. As the draft kept taking young Black men to fight in Southeast Asia, that frustration started to boil over.
