Friday, June 19, 2020

Juneteenth: Pandemic of Prejudice


BLACK CHILDREN'S LIVES MATTER!


It's difficult to put into words what these last few weeks have felt like, and if it is difficult for me, I can't even begin to fathom what it must feel like for people of color in this country and around the world. George Floyd's death sparked a revolution that has been brewing for centuries since the so-called claim to "freedom" was decreed by the Confederate's defeat in the Civil War. Juneteenth is a holiday I was not aware of before this year admittedly. It is a yearly recognition of when the last slaves of this country were formally freed in Texas, two years after the end of the Civil War. We don't learn that in school, at least I didn't. Growing up, we were encouraged to have this idealist image that when the slaves were freed all across the reunified country, they just dropped whatever they were doing in servitude and went on their merry way to freedom. History is obviously more complicated than that, and if anything has been learned in the last few weeks it is that the complicated cannot be dismissed, it must be addressed, no matter how tangled the webs. No matter how uncomfortable we may find ourselves when entangled inside them and no matter how shocked we may be to discover that we and our ancestors, whether consciously or otherwise, have been helping weave these sorted webs for centuries. While my lack of education, whether from others or myself, on this historic date and its significance does shame me, I will not spend any lengthy time on my guilt or my sorrow. This isn't about me, and I am constantly reminding myself of that fact every single day, the same way I have to remind myself that though I may feel as though I am living in a quarantined bubble, this pandemic isn't just happening to me either. My penance is to become educated. My penance is to educate myself, to research and learn from others more experienced in such serious matters than I, be it because of their skin color, academic ranking or just general far more extensive life experiences regarding racial inequality. By learning more I can be a better ally, while still keeping myself in check and ensuring that the topic stays on "them", the oppressed, and not myself, the ally and in many ways, the inadvertent oppressor.


My love for film and television, fortunately, puts me at an advantage here in terms of education. I know that there are a vast array of films, television series and documentaries that can help me further understand numerously different subsections regarding the subjects of race and racism. This blog post is a tool to help others find these resources across the various streaming platforms that so many people have access to today. If you think other people in your life could benefit from this enriching education as well, or know someone that actively wants to but doesn't have access to the same resources as you, this is the perfect time to be an ally to them as well. Please share your information with them, share your accounts log-in info. The more people who we educate, the stronger we are in this fight against a system of bigotry, hatred and intolerance. 


BLACK MEN'S LIVES MATTER!

Netflix:


While many have rightfully questioned the decision of this streaming giant to add a "Black Lives Matter" section to its service platform as more of a marketing ploy than a declaration of solidarity, either way, Netflix is still home to an abundance of content featuring people of color at the forefront. Series like Dear White People do a great service not only by putting young, black voices front and center in its narrative but alternating between these different voices as focal points of various episodes. Everyone gets to be heard, and everyone has something different and meaningful to say on college, life and yes, race. Trigger Warning with Killer Mike is a great docuseries that deals with various issues that affect the black community in everyday life and encourages a humorous, but still substantial dialogue on how to rectify these matters. Netflix also has a slew of content from the great director Spike Lee. Educating yourself does not just have to mean watching content exclusively about racism, but also watching content that simply features black people living their lives, authentically. So go ahead, watch Do The Right Thing (1989) but don't miss out on the female empowerment of She's Gotta Have It (1986) simply because the film does not deal with racism overtly. The same can be said for the heartbreaking story of a gay black man from youth to adulthood that is depicted in Barry Jenkins's Oscar-winning film, Moonlight (2016). Racism doesn't have to be the primary conflict for it to be present in a film. If you only take in media about overt racism, you risk mentally depicting people of color in your mind as perpetual victims, lacking autonomy rather than recognizing and appropriately celebrating their strengths, fortitude and unique cultural contributions. 

Hulu: 


While I have not officially started Black-ish yet, though I intend to very soon, my parents and I did sit down to watch the episode "Hope" which deals with the subject of police brutality from a multiple-perspectives within the show's central black family. The episode is a thoughtful and memorable watch that doesn't sugar-coat the sensitive topic one way or the other, and it should be watched whether or not you intend ever to view the series in its entirety. However, given its highly regarded record with critics and audiences alike, I highly suggest you do. Hulu also currently has another Barry Jenkins masterpiece,  If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) available to watch for subscribers. This film is based off a novel by critically acclaimed black novelist, James Baldwin, and it tells the story of two young lovers in the 1970s torn apart by a false rape accusation that lands an innocent black man in jail and a family fighting against a justice system that shows little interest in the truth than it does in retaining the white status quo. It is a chilling depiction of a skewed criminal justice system but also reinforces the power of love and family, which can exceed all plights and prejudices.  


BLACK WOMEN'S LIVES MATTER!


Amazon Prime/AppleTV:


Amazon Prime is currently a fantastic source for film and documentary content regarding black history. It, along with other streaming services like AppleTv, have made numerous films available for free without a rental fee. These films that can be found on either streaming service include: The Hate U Give (2018), Selma (2014), Just Mercy (2019), Monsters and Men (2018) and many others. I've watched two documentaries thus far on Amazon Prime that were both about black cinema that I found to be extremely informative. The first is A Century of Black Cinema (2003) which might be a bit dated in terms of style, but still nevertheless highlights some major black artists from over the years in Hollywood and how they transcended racial boundaries to attain stardom. The second is  Birth of A Movement (2017). This documentary latter tells the story of how civil rights activist, William Monroe Trotter tried to stop the emphatically racist early cinema blockbuster, The Birth of a Nation (1915) from being released widely across the USA where it ended up reigniting the popularity of the Ku Klux Klan. Hopefully, Amazon Prime and AppleTV keep this content free and accessible to viewers for the foreseeable future and do not pull them away from public attention when they feel this "fad", as some may wrongfully call it, has passed over. It must never pass over, never again.


Disney+:


While it might sound strange to turn your attention to Disney of all places for informative content on race, the hidden gems are there and can aid you in having conversations with young children about these often delicate subject matters. That's So RavenThe Proud Family and Smart Guy are all past television sitcoms available on the streaming service that feature episodes that deal with racial inequality in some form or another. Even the ones that don't feature such hefty themes are still worth the watch for the same reasons as people should watch Black-ish. These television programs are a reminder of our unifying qualities as human beings as well as our established differences. They highlight the idea that the so-called " Classic American Family" has no singular look, race or creed. Indeed, each of these television programs has aged like a fine wine. It would do Disney well to consider how they can not only honor their legacies moving forward, but also build upon them with new content that is even more diversified and unafraid to tackle "touchy" subject matter like racism. We can only hope, but hope is as vital in today's world as it has ever been before. 


BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER!


YouTube: 


Youtube is obviously a great resource to gather information directly from the minds and mouths of those who know about these issues best, from everyday citizens to academic and psychological specialist who deal in these subjects within their trades on a daily basis. What's also great about YouTube is that for the most part, it allows these vital voices to come across unfiltered or censored by the often annoyingly troublesome confines of television networks or studio heads. There are YouTube videos available that allow you to directly donate to Black Lives Matter and other socially-progressive movements simply by watching the video without skipping ads, thereby increasing its ad revenue. Be careful, however, as there are certain ways to do it to ensure that your view is properly counted towards viewership. Be sure to read the description and/or comments section for tips on how to ensure your view is contributing to their overall ad revenue. Of course, films, television series and documentaries are also available on YouTube, though often for a price. One exception to this that I watched just this afternoon is Within Our Gates (1920). This silent film, directed by Oscar Micheaux, is believed to be the earliest surviving film written and directed by an African American. The film is seen as a response to D.W. Griffith's racially bias The Birth of A Nation, though ironically because of those same racial biases, the film never received the same level of attention and notoriety as Griffith's film. Still, it is a heartening tale of intolerance and brutalization and is furthermore a direct rebuke of the disgusting notion made by Griffith and his movie that black people are primitive and carnal by nature. Any history or film buff should absolutely give it a watch and continue to scour YouTube for more freely-available historical and informative content of a similar nature.


BLACK NON-BINARY LIVES MATTER!


Conclusion:


None of this is meant to overwhelm you. I lay it all out to merely acknowledge the 

plentiful resources that are at so many of our fingertips with a quick click of the remote control so that we can gain greater knowledge on these crucial issues still plaguing this country and this world. Watching videos on Instagram and Twitter of racist incidents or even worse, violent deaths at the hands of the oppressors and posting about your outrage is not enough anymore, frankly it never really has been, and I say that from a place of self-reflection. We have to actively take steps, as black activist Angela Davis says: "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." Who we are is tested by what we tolerate and too many of us, myself included, have tolerated racism for far too long in our society. While trapped still in one pandemic, we have been forced by the murders of those like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Robert Fuller and Tete "Otis" Gulley, among countless others, to come to terms with the fact that a second pandemic has been ravaging our society all along. Unlike COVID-19, a vaccine won't cure it. We have to, one day at a time, one action at a time, but certainly not one single action a day. Why not have your first action be to sit down on your couch, turn on your television and educate yourself on the lives and tribulations of black people using any of these recommended sources as your first, but certainly not last, lesson in systemic racial discrimination. 



BLACK LIVES MATTER!