John C. King
Filmmaker Kenny X. Hamlett speaks on the Cuesta College campus on Sept. 6.
A film presented by the San Luis Obispo County Library at the Harold J. Miossi Performing Arts Center “Black People Don’t Do That” was screened Sept. 6 to an audience of about 100 community members of San Luis Obispo County.
The film is an exploration of cultural clichés and assumptive thoughts on outdoor adventure sports seldom participated in by black people. “Black People Don’t Do That” is a visual feast showcasing the natural beauty of Oregon and Washington states, highlighting outdoor activities such as extreme white water rafting, mountain climbing and surfing through the eyes of Hamlett, a black man pursuing sports where he seldom saw others who looked like him.
After hooking us with his acrobatics and immersive cinematography, Hamlett reveals to the audience his mental health battles, including his struggle to create healthy interpersonal dynamics, the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment, and the deep emotional dive he is taking in his life as he navigates his own mental health battles – battles with parents, significant others, relationships of all kinds. His approach to his mental health, its treatment and the stigma associated with seeking treatment are revealed to us with fearless vulnerability he shows us his struggles and his triumphs.
We go along for the ride through his journey that is specific to him as a Black man in spaces that people of color don’t commonly travel, but in him, we see everyone who is seeking to live a life of fulfillment and joy who has chosen to break free from feelings of inadequacies, real or imagined. His story gives us tools and pathways to follow for treatment and resources for building a foundation for coping with life’s thrills and spills.
We can thank the County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries, which sponsored the viewing, in conjunction with the non-profit organization R.A.C.E. Matters. Also in attendance as panel members were the film’s creator, Kenny X Hamlett, local artist Maria Bele’n, mental health clinician Jene’ Hinton Railsback, Executive Director of R.A.C.E. MATTERS Courtney Haile, Director At Large of Morro Bay Coast Audubon Susie Reddy, Communications Chairperson of the San Luis Obispo NAACP Tobin Johnson, and Program Manager for Transitions Mental Health Association Robert Cueva.
This event not only showcased the film; it also showcased how a community can come together in these difficult times to help each other heal and thrive.
The film’s YouTube 30-second teaser offers an in-depth review with photos of the places they did some filming. Currently, the SLO library is looking into sponsoring the film in their library in the near future.