"The Fifty Most Important Black Films in an illustrated guide to 50 of the most important and socially significant movies made for, by and about African Americans. It is a resource book, that examines of how black films have shaped and reflected the times, influenced society, and impacted black culture. It is not a "Best of," "Most liked," or "Greatest" films list. Nor is it based on wonderful reviews and box office grosses. And, it does not reflect the opinion of the entire black community. It is our list.
We do not rank the films, but instead discuss them within the appropriate historical context. We divided the book into decades, except for the first thirty years when fewer black films were available. Each section starts with a historical overview from that decade, a discussion on the film itself, wrapped up with a summary of the various reviews found for each film." —S. Torriano and Venise Berry, 2001
