, the 38-minute film explores Jones’ education on his own Black identity by presenting “the Black ABCs,” inspired by a set of alphabet flashcards developed by Black educators in Chicago in 1970 as an alternative to the Eurocentric teaching tools typically available to them. Jones created his own versions of the Black ABCs updated for Black American life in the present, resulting in 26 scenes that also serve as a companion piece to Jones’ musical album of the same name.
“At the heart of ‘Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma’ is a desire for preservation,” Jones said. “We found joy in uncovering new creative ways to archive moments in a single life that could speak to the spirit of many lives. We’re honored to partner with an historic institution like The Times to present this raw, unconventional exploration of thought and memory as a record of Black Americans’ complex relationship to identity in the early aughts.