Carroll Parrott Blue

Carroll Parrott Blue (August 23, 1943 – December 11, 2019) was an American filmmaker, director and author. Based in Houston, Texas, she was part of the L.A. Rebellion film movement. She was noted for her documentary film and interactive multimedia works, particularly for her project The Dawn at My Back: Memoir of a Black Texas Upbringing. Blue was a research professor at the University of Houston. She worked to preserve and celebrate the history of the African American community in Houston.

Early life and education Carroll Parrott Blue was born on August 23, 1943, in Houston, Texas. She grew up during the segregation era in Houston's Third Ward. During her childhood, Blue's mother Mollie Carroll Parrott worked with and for organizations such as Negro YWCA, Garden Club, Texas Negro Democratic party, and many church groups that fought for civil rights during the Civil Rights Era. Blue graduated from Jack Yates Colored High School.

Blue began attending Boston University in 1960 and earned her B.A. in english literature in 1964. She earned her MFA in film production at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1980.

Her work is heavily concentrated in documentaries, African American cinema and digital community-based media. The L.A. Rebellion filmmakers worked against Hollywood's negative perspective of black people in starring realistic, anti-stereotype characters in their works. Filming African Americans in their communities was an important aspect of this work, as Zeinabu Irene Davis stated in 2014 the "goal was and is to represent, reflect on, and enrich the day-to-day lives of people in our own communities."

Blue became a professor emerita of San Diego State University in 1980. It explores Blue's family history and the history of Houston's black community. In Blue's pursuit of making change in the Southeast Houston area, her work consisted of storytelling, interactive multimedia, public art and design. and worked towards the renovation of Houston's Emancipation Park.

Shortly after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Blue collaborated in the creation of a storymap for the Third Ward with The Dawn Project, the Houston Chronicle, and several other organizations. The project collected stories from Houston residents who were impacted by storm.

She was appointed a World Academy of Art and Science Fellow in 2007.

Selected filmography Carroll Parrott Blue has produced, directed and written films including those listed in the table below:

Title Year Director Producer Writer Notes "Nova" Mystery of the Senses: Vision 1995 Documentary Smithsonian World's Nigerian Arts-Kindred Spirits 1990 Documentary Conversations with Roy DeCarava 1983 Short documentary Varnette's World: A Study of a Young Artist 1979 Short

Selected publications In Blue's work as an author she blends text with graphics and stills.