African American

"Whitewash," the documentary, is a film exploring the complexity of race in America through the struggle and triumph of the history of black surfers. Narrated by Grammy Award® winner Ben Harper with Tariq “Blackthought” Trotter of the Roots, the story is told through the eyes of black surfers and historians from Hawaii, Jamaica, Florida, and California.

This controversial and probing film looks deep into America’s painful and pervasive legacy of slavery and exclusion. From surfing’s “discovery” by Captain James Cook in Hawaii in 1778 through the explosion of surf culture during the days of segregated Jim Crow America in the1960’s, Whitewash explores the myths that black surfers have overcome in their search for waves. http://newyorksurffilmfestival.com/2009featurefilms/whitewash

As a side note: My dad was a great swimmer and surfed a lot well into his teens while still a lad in Africa. He had no idea it was only for white people when he came here in his 30's back in the mid '60s. As he used to say, coastal people just naturally surf. I was really grateful when this film came out few years ago and it included surfing in Ghana that slave traders stopped.

If interested, but unfortunately, the entire documentary is no longer available online for free. But can be viewed on YouTube for $1.99 at Virgil Films.