Melvin Van Peebles Remembered by Son Mario: “A Pioneer, a Maverick and One Cool Cat”

Melvin Van Peebles, a trailblazing Black filmmaker best known for 1971’s Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song, died on Tuesday at the age of 89. Here, one of his sons, Mario Van Peebles, a noted filmmaker in his own right, remembers his father publicly for the first time since his death.* * *20 years after Melvin made Sweetback outside the studio system, I got to make my film, New Jack City, inside the studio system, because of Melvin and other cats like Gordon [Parks] and Ossie [Davis] — but specifically because of Melvin. He made it easier for all of us who have followed.... ...