The Black Nod film: A Love Letter to Black Portland

[@omiseunlomax4775]

Nod to ya my Portland Peoples. So good to see your beautiful faces. Been back only a few yrs. (Wow, much has changed) So good to seeing familiar faces. Love to U all.💙💯

[@malikrayshon47]

We need a black nod emoji. I love this. Thank you. 🖤

[@wild-radio7373]

Absolutely! I love that idea ♡♡♡

[@lemostjoyousrenegade]

WORD! That's what's up! We also need Black Family emojis.

[@ceriusblaq7018]

Chicago-Native here. I grew up with the nod for sure! Still do it. Portland was the 1st place that I have lived where I did NOT get one back! I was shocked! Like some of the speakers mentioned, I did not know what to do with that. I mean, I DO get the nod back a lot. I was just taken aback when I did not get it a few times.

[@motaku7525]

Well, ya know, Portland is so lame there's white people here who can't figure out what "I got your back" means. *sigh*

[@rachelhadi]

"Compassion is medicine"

[@Sojiebee]

wow this is some of the best local film making i've seen. thank u.

[@roberth.miller6031]

Spread the "nod". We Black folk need to gather our culture and replant those seeds, especially here on the east coast. Our mutual connection is real, we can't let that go !

[@t-love2366]

That is unfortunate that happens here in Portland Oregon as far as "the nod"it makes it really frustrating to want to still live in Portland amongst some black folks who I personally feel have no soul. I've encountered so many black folks here in Portland Oregon who didn't acknowledge that there was another black man standing right by them. That is so frustrating because I acknowledge every black person I come across.

[@vparris492]

You're so correct. I lived in Eugene, Springfield, and Portland. Black (men) people who have relocated to PO seem to be running away or trying to hide from something... their blackness included! Have two brothers and I met plenty of their friends and listened to them speak a lot of anti Black rhetoric with a focus on black women. A lot of self-hate.

[@svc6550]

As a transplant from Toronto to Vancouver, this is real

[@rasdannyfallon4230]

thanks. love it!

[@QueenBeadable]

Thankhs for the opportunity to participate in this Project!!..😊😎🖤 (@ 18 min+ mark)

[@marlonreinvented1551]

thanks for making this. I rarely get the nod back unfortunately

[@PDXDre]

Great local production! Thank You!

[@aroldwilsonngotty8803]

Nobody thought me how to nod , it just came naturally .

[@lemostjoyousrenegade]

This is BEAUTIFUL!!! Nodding with Joy and I LIKED this video and the comment of every nodder in the comment section that I saw this evening (21. Nov. 2021) because I SEE you, because I LOVE us (you, me and our people) and because I UNDERSTAND your struggles - the struggles that stem from the oppression, discrimination, bullying and other and the injustices that you/we face, especially here in America. And yes, I subscribed to this channel BECAUSE OF this beautiful video. Much respect! Rest in Peace, Mrs. Maxey. ✨💜🕊✨💜✨🕊💜 With great love and appreciation from San Francisco ♥️🌉💫 for all of you who nod (acknowledge, see, understand/empathize with, appreciate and honor your kindred - brothers and sisters - and also for those who choose/chose to START NODDING because of this video from San Francisco. VIEWERS, I invite you to show your love/appreciation by LIKE-ing the video (clicking the LIKE button) if you nod and/or understand/respect the Black Nod.

[@christopherjones5882]

it is done without a second thought! I'm from Detroit and I grew up nodding to other brothers

[@halle2280]

It never died✊🏿

[@gothamtyler]

Live in Tacoma/Seattle area..pdx is by far my favorite city to visit as a black person. Dope when people that look like you acknowledge you Im from NY so it def made me feel at home

[@Godsgladiator444]

Just moved here from texas . ✨

[@abbycharles7308]

This is a beautiful reminder 💜. I had to adjust to the nod , being from the Caribbean we acknowledge each other by verbally saying hello, good morning, good evening etc. In the States have been a bit different. When you greet ohers like yourself on the street they can look at you strange, lol. The nod... the nod is that happy feeling of acknowledgement, that quietly says I see you.Thank you for this video.

[@UnapologeticallyTee33]

🖤 the black nod!!! From VA and have used this video for my students in the past!!!

[@darrylrobinson2727]

Absolutely beautiful movie. And ALL of the stars look like me

[@charlesrichardson7882]

I love this video. Smiled the whole time as I watched it.

[@na-chomamaztaco2955]

Idk how I got here but I love it!

[@DerrickNYC]

I love this

[@MaryONeal]

I'm in this!

[@DarknessUnresolved]

Digging this, as I always make it a point to nod!

[@nobertogarcia5125]

Great Video

[@wild-radio7373]

What a wonderful group of people! Heard your interview on KBOO this morning. Inspired isn't big enough. An epiphany! Thank you 🤜🏻👍🤛🏻♡♡♡

[@aaronwangugi3423]

dope

[@seankelly4035]

Love it.

[@jeffdade238]

Loved it! Thank you 🖤

[@masterprophet8378]

Respect!!!

[@unknowng3532]

For someone who isn't from PO but may relocate, what areas or cities would I look into if I wanted to be in a black or diverse area but be relatively safe!

[@SDSFG45]

my Pops was born and raised in Columbia, SC..and as a young buck, he dealt with "Jim Crow" in extremely brutal ways in SC. People sometimes forget, racism was as bad and maybe worse in South Carolina, than it was in Alabama and Mississipi in the 40s, 50s & 60s. So, he went out of his way to be acknowledged by other human beings just to stay sane..because, as he told me, many, many yrs into my own adulthood, he could go many days without one single whit person saying "boo" to him..and when they did speak, they were always telling him what to do and where to go. So, until he ran away from home and went into the Army, he just decided to STOP speaking to people of caucasian persuasion, altogether. But when he would see "his own" anywhere, he wouldn't just nod his head, but he would ALWAYS drop an "alright, now!" on 'em. Which in the South, is plain, ol' general-speak for "how you doin' today"..or as the kids say, "wassup". Ive visited Portland, twice...dated someone from there, briefly...and on both occasions, I LOVED the city. I didnt get around the city a whole lot. But what I saw of it, I liked. But Im not dumb or oblivious, either. I saw and heard a LOT of fake "woke, white people". Sorry...there's no other way to put that. Its just the truth. I think they meant well, but they didnt understand that my day to day struggles in my skin, is NOT THEIRS, simply because they dont wear this skin. So, they can march with me and protest with me...and speak up on my behalf all they want. But the freedoms they have in life, by virtue of just being privileged to be white, are not ones that are equally mine. And thats a whole other pragraph. I'll just say, the main reason I decided NOT to move to Portland, is because Im getting older. ..Im 54...and once you eclipse that age, you start narrowing down your life, to wanting to be around people, places and things, that inspire you and make you feel good on all fronts. Portland is STILL, in my opinion, a nice place to visit...Im a chef. So, the food scene REALLY appeals to me and got me excited. Last time I did visit was in 2013...and lets just say A LOT has changed in Portland, since 2013. And diversity, oddly enough is NOT one of the things that has changed for the better, whether you be straight, gay or otherwise. And a vibrant food scene there, was not enough to encourage me to pack up a UHaul to move there. If I wanna fight white, racist homeless folks, I can do that in a VERY bad dream. But I'll be goddamn if Im going to do it in real time. Nope..

[@motaku7525]

Thanks for all that, Lawrence. Very interesting what you said about S. Car. for your dad - I think I heard in a history class once (white pseudo-intellectual here) that treatment of Black folks there could even be worse than in many other states partly because the percent of white people in the population was one of the lowest - hence, more fear that, you know, people are going to do something outrageous like revolt or whatever. As far as fake woke whites here.. I gotta speak softly here, cause I got my own 'white liberal' faults. But sometimes, hey, it takes one to know one, right? And I have to admit that of all the places I've ever lived I have never heard so much BS about how "I'm a radical, I marched against nuclear power once," "I know all about Black people, I took a course once," etc etc. I got two crazy stories, but I gotta send them to the people who do "Hassan Hates Portland," because if they put one in a show, I'll die happy. Peace.

[@SDSFG45]

@@motaku7525 life, is interesting aint it?..I watched this video again, 5 min ago...and I made a vow to myself, that to spite all the Trump-ism flyin' around?...Im not going to just get by with a head nod, when I see my own. Im going all in, with a straight-up BLACK POWER FIST!...arm extended. And Im going to stop on a dime to let my black fist fly, high. Im not kidding. And those white people that embrace it, will understand Im not doing it outta some weird hate of white people...Im not wired that way, anyway. But those white, Asian and Trump-Latins, that dont get it, fuck 'em..And btw...Ive decided to move to Portland. When you're 54, you can change your mind for free, too.

[@tomgevurtz136]

I enjoyed learning about the Black Nod. Clearly it's used as an acknowledgement between black folks. Does that mean it would be inappropriate of me, as a white man, to nod to a black person? I'm pretty sure that if another person nodded to me, it's respectful to nod back. However, should I not nod to a black person unless they nod first? I'd appreciate any insights. Thank you. Tom

[@wild-radio7373]

I appreciate your process here♡ As a young person white, and into westcoast hiphop... we also nod as respect! My opinion: Nod away! :) Be well! ♡♡♡

[@terminald8973]

Just nod If they don’t nod back it’s ok Some black people don’t nod

[@roberth.miller6031]

After watching this video, you just got a peek at Black culture. Understanding what the nod means to us especially in these times, undergoing police brutality, etc.,gives you an idea of our unity. Make sure when you nod to a Black person, do it with a smile, then we get it, you're not threatened by our culture, nor thinking we're plotting a "rebellion" .

[@Ayourque]

Bro... Nod on!

[@enigma9649]

I definitely need to acknowledge black women more. 😔Even if it’s just a 😊 …... I rarely get the nod back in Portland. Not much knowledge of SELF

[@PoeticJ21]

That's crazy how we just know the nod lmao

[@DemiSun]

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@presleykauejao4478]

🇳🇦🖤🖤🖤🖤😎😎😎😎

[@allouttabubblegum1984]

That's sad to hear black people not nodding back, I nod or acknowledge almost everyone I pass by out of courtesy.

[@aricoshango]

L ove this video! Is this an independent production company or group?? If so, I would like to network & or collaborate if interested??

[@motaku7525]

Hm.. I guess in the end I nod or say hi to a lot of people.. maybe even have a conversation. And I've had more than one friend, usually a white woman friend, who says something like, "Oh my god! Why are you talking with strangers?" Then again, sometimes they are of certain East Asian backgrounds - no disprespect - where maybe that's just not usually done. I gotta say tho - the little snippet I saw in a preview of "Hassan Hates Portland" in which one thing he hates is "white people with BLM signs in their yard who can't look me in the eye" - d-mn, that's heartbreaking!

[@blackmantravel6954]

I've never nodded black women only black men

[@Oregon696969]

I am gonna start nodding at black people. I will let you know how it goes.