Less than a year ago, the legendary Melvin Van Peebles died. He left behind a legacy as a fiercely independent multi-hyphenate creator who altered the course of Black filmmaking and cinema at-large.

Melvin Van Peebles, the influential filmmaker behind "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," and father of director and actor Mario Van Peebles, has died. He was 89. "Dad knew that Black images matter," ...