Melvin Van Peebles

American author and filmmaker
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Melvin Peebles
Quick Facts
Original name:
Melvin Peebles
Born:
August 21, 1932, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died:
September 21, 2021, New York, New York (aged 89)
Notable Works:
“Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song”
Notable Family Members:
son Mario Van Peebles

Melvin Van Peebles (born August 21, 1932, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.—died September 21, 2021, New York, New York) was an American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and starred in Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), a groundbreaking film that spearheaded the rush of African American action films known as "blaxploitation" in the 1970s. He also served as the film’s composer and editor. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University (B.A., 1953), Van Peebles traveled extensively in Europe, Mexico, and the United States, working a variety of jobs that included painter, postal worker, and street performer along with a stint in the air force. While ...(100 of 438 words)