March 1st 2023.
Six years after his influential short film "Black Lives/Black Lungs" highlighted the years-long drive to make menthol a Black cigarette, filmmaker and former Truth Initiative fellow Lincoln Mondy has now released his sequel documentary which reveals the tobacco industry's manipulative strategies to avoid federal regulations. "Black Lives/Black Lungs: The Journey of a Stolen Leaf"
illustrates the industry's forward-thinking approach to protecting profits, sidestepping rules, and perpetuating influence through the advertising of e-cigarettes to ensnare a new generation of nicotine users. The short movie is available for broad distribution on YouTube today.
"After investigating the interconnection between Black individuals and the tobacco industry with 'Black Lives/Black Lungs', I realized there was more of the story that had to be shared," commented Mondy. "As I observed the emerging e-cigarette market over the last few years, resulting in the teenager e-cigarette epidemic, I could not overlook the resemblances between the promotion of this new product and the way the industry targeted the Black community with menthol cigarettes. The past serves as a warning for the future, and I hope this movie does its part in bringing attention to the activities that tobacco companies are recycling to ensnare a new generation."
Given that almost 9 out of 10 Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes – including 94.8% of Black adolescents aged 12-17 – and that tobacco use is the primary cause of preventable death among Black Americans with 45,000 deaths annually, "Black Lives/Black Lungs: The Journey of a Stolen Leaf" explores the history of the tobacco industry and how it was built on the backs of Black slaves. As colonizers plundered and stole land from indigenous communities, they also stole their sacred plant, tobacco, and turned it into a moneymaker. By 1630, more than one and a half million pounds of tobacco were being exported from Jamestown every year, setting in motion tobacco as an early justification for slavery and the billion-dollar industry we know today.
After linking Big Tobacco to colonization, slavery, and capitalism, Mondy brings viewers to the present by centering on flavors and industry tactics as connecting elements between traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Experts and advocates provide commentary and examples of the industry's plan: buy Black influence, challenge science, and evade regulation. By delving into the origins of the industry and the beginnings of traditional cigarettes, Mondy presents a detailed and visual case showing how Big Tobacco has never been far from its origins, and the risks of allowing an industry unrestrained access to reuse their old predatory tactics on new generations.
The film includes a range of experts and long-term supporters of publicizing the predatory techniques used by the tobacco industry, including:
Alexandria Duruji, public health advocate
Denise A. Smith, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation
Six years after the release of his influential short film “Black Lives/Black Lungs”, filmmaker and former Truth Initiative fellow Lincoln Mondy unveiled his follow-up documentary today, revealing the tobacco industry’s efforts to dodge federal regulations. Referred to as “Black Lives/Black Lungs: The Journey of a Stolen Leaf”, the short film exposes the industry's plan to keep profits up, obstruct rules, and entice a new generation to nicotine through the advertising of e-cigarettes. It is now available on YouTube for all to watch.
Mondy remarks, “After exploring the connection between Black people and the tobacco industry with ‘Black Lives/Black Lungs,’ I knew there was more to the story that needed to be shared.
As I've seen the e-cigarette market grow, it became increasingly clear that the industry is using the same underhanded methods to target Black communities as it did with menthol cigarettes. The film intends to bring this truth to light and help prevent a new generation from succumbing to the industry's traps.”
Statistics show that almost 90% of Black smokers are using menthol cigarettes, with 94.8% of Black adolescents aged 12-17 being among them. This habit is the number one source of avoidable death among Black Americans, resulting in 45,000 fatalities annually. The documentary dives into the history of the tobacco industry, tracing its roots back to the theft of the sacred tobacco plant by colonizers and the profiteering off the backs of slaves.
Mondy then delves into the present by focusing on flavors and industry strategies that link traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Approaches such as buying Black influence, questioning scientific facts, and bypassing rules are some of the tactics employed by the tobacco industry, which are discussed by experts and advocates in the film. This shows how Big Tobacco has always been close to its original methods, and how fatal it can be to let the industry continue using its old predatory moves on new generations.
The movie features various experts and advocates of uncovering the tobacco industry's manipulative practices, including Alexandria Duruji, public health advocate, and Denise A. Smith, Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation.
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