This is truly heartbreaking and sad. Famed actor, author, and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles has died at the age of 89.
Best known for his “blaxploitation” films, died surrounded by his family and loved ones.
His son, Mario Van Peebles, released a statement about his legendary father. “Dad knew that Black images matter. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what was a movie worth? We want to be the success we see, thus we need to see ourselves being free. True liberation did not mean imitating the colonizer’s mentality. It meant appreciating the power, beauty, and interconnectivity of all people.”
Throughout his career, Van Peebles became known for directing movies such as “The Story of a Three-Day Pass”, “Watermelon Man”, “Don’t Play Us Cheap”, and “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.”
According to reports, “Sweet Sweetback” will be playing at the New York Film Festival, later on, this week for its 50th Anniversary.
Tributes to the late actor were displayed all over social media. Take a look at some of them below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUJIa7XpvCJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
We will continue to keep the Van Peebles family in our thoughts and prayers.