"Sweet Sweetback's Baaddasssss Song," directed by Melvin Van Peeples in 1971, is generally cited as the first blaxploitation film. Some critics also point to "Shaft," which was released shortly thereafter as the first.
Blaxploitation films encompassed a number of larger genres, including crime stories, action films, horror movies and comedies. They also used soundtracks featuring funk and soul music, which subsequently became associated with blaxploitation.
Blaxploitation was most notable because the heroes and heroines were black and often triumphed against white villains. Such figures hadn't been widely seen in American cinema up to this point.
Because many blaxploitation films featured criminals and ne'er-do-wells as heroes, they were often accused of perpetrating negative stereotypes. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in particular, considered such films demeaning to African-Americans.
Though the genre declined by the late 1970s, it had a huge influence on subsequent filmmakers. Directors such as Spike Lee, John Singleton and Quentin Tarantino have cited the genre's effect on their work, while actors like Samuel L. Jackson credit blaxploitation for increasing opportunities for black actors.