The above images are from various films we've both viewed & discussed during Unit III.
From Bulletproof Love to (re)imagined female representations, we've engaged in some thought provoking class discussions. These films (re)present platforms as sites of resistance. Black women serve as generals in an all-female Army & Black women are beautiful enough to wear Italian designer clothing while supporting one of their own through a difficult break-up; a Black man evokes a (re)imagined happening which we can all dream of - a bulletproof Black man. What about the music? I can close my eyes and hear the drum beat and the chant from "Pray for Me by Weeknd and K." And, finally, Eric Killmonger commands intellectual respect as he 'corrects' a white woman about African history. Each of these moments signifies the fire in the spirit of our ancestors - the fire. Do you think the fire this time is here? If so, how? Which film from our discussions supports your position, and why? Please be specific, and provide examples from both the film and our class.
Due: Fri., 4/13/18 by the beginning of class. (Please remember the blog rubric)
KeAsiah McLaughlin:
ReplyDeleteI believe that the fire this time is here. Maya Angelou once wrote, "I am the dream and the hope of the slave." She meant that the people living today have opportunities and resources available to them that equip them with a different spirit today- the fire of our ancestors. This is definitely apparent in all of the films that we discussed this unit.
In Black Panther, the all-female army protected the King and royal family. This goes against societal norms that convey women are not strong or that they cannot protect others. The fire is alive today because we now have an all-female clan on screen that shows just how intense and dedicated a group of women can be. The kingdom of Wakanda depended on those women to protect the king, and this shows how the fire today empowers our women to be just as strong as men. In the episode of Luke Cage, Bulletproof Love empowered the community to take back the killings of Black men by police- they intentionally bought and wore hoodies with bullet holes in them. Those bullet holes pay tribute to people such as Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Sandra Bland. Hoodies typically signify crime when associated with Blacks, but the fire that lives on today tells us to take back stereotypes and embrace that not all Blacks are harmful. Another example that exemplifies why the fire lives today is in "The Door." The beauty of Black women was displayed. Gabrielle Union and the others are wearing a top Italian fashion line as they tell the story; this does not happen often! In the old days, White people made fun of our beauty, yet the fire that lives today enables us to embrace it. Other cultures even want to "look" Black and pay to mimic our features (lip surgeries, booty surgeries, braids, etc.)
In conclusion, the fire this time exists because film directors today are not afraid to show how dope or powerful Black men AND women can be. Our culture is finally not afraid to hide it, and our ancestors would be proud the fire is finally ignited. There is no greater time to be of African descent than today.
Yes, the fire is here because each of the films and readings we have discussed in class have many different perspectives and representations of African Americans. The films give have a different viewpoint of the importance of educating individuals on the historical context of African American films. The Black Panther is a film that signifies moments in African American history. The Black Panther is a film that is not your typical portrayal of African Americans. For example, T'Challa, a black hero and king of Wakanda is not only educated, but he is royalty. He is responsible for taking over Wakanda and the nation is technology advanced and T'Challas's sister, Shuri, a teenage genius develops inventions that can be used in Wakanda. This film was different because its focus was not on race and identity, but it focused on issues that are happening today in our society. It celebrated the achievements of African American tradition. Another example from the film is the army of Black women. These women were intelligent, bold, and strong. They were confident, and they were all females. The significance was the depictions of black women and, it showed that they could fight, and were not seen as being weak. They were made to have strength and protect the king.
ReplyDeleteLastly, the representation of beauty of these women in the film. In class we discussed the concept of Afrocentric ideologies focusing on the different complexions of the women, their baldness, and their uniforms/jewelry. These women were represented in a positive way being fierce, brilliant women. These examples highlight important moments of our culture and also what it is centered around our history. I believe that Ryan Coogler wanted to wake people up and let them know that African Americans are capable of being a leader and being powerful, strong, and intelligent. This film will allow future generations to be aspired by the many images of African Americans.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU
http://time.com/5171219/black-panther-women-true-history/
http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/08/media/black-panther-titanic-box-office/index.html
Corvonn Peebles:
ReplyDeleteI believe the "fire" is here, and here to stay. These films that we've viewed and discussed are the catalysts to what I would call the "Black Renaissance"; this Renaissance began with Ryan Coogler and Ava Duvernay as the frontrunners of displaying the strength of a black man (Luke Cage), the beauty/prominence/dexterity of black women (The women from the Door & Dora Milaj), and the cognizance, intelligence, and "wokeness" of black people as whole(Erik Killmonger).
The music in all these films accurately described the various scenarios taking place in each films as well; black filmmakers have always been adept at picking that perfect song for any situation their character is dealing with. With all this representation being shown on such a large scale, our youth will see how we all come from royal, strong, rich lineages.
Black people are made for more than just the typecast roles we're usually associated with, this applies to films and in real-life. These films challenge the social perception of black people-- they especially challenge our own community to look in the mirror and see how we stereotype, and possibly, ostracize individuals we would consider "out-of-the-norm). These aesthetics that were so aptly celebrated in the discussed films are just the tip of the iceberg for what's to come in this Black Enlightenment movement. I'm very excited to see what's coming, as well as what I could possibly contribute.
It's "take-back/come-up season" for black folks. We've been glowing in the mud for too long; it's time for us to get up, wash off, and shine like we're supposed to have been doing.
The fire this time is here, and it is blazing. We are seeing a second wave of the Civil Rights Movement with the Black Lives Matter movement. In class, we watched Spike Lee’s documentary about the students at Mizzou who organized to remove Tim Wolfe from his office and to bring about changes on campus to improve diversity and the way black students are treated. Students had been working hard to bring awareness of issues through the Concerned Student 1950 list of demands, but despite student Jonathan Butler’s hunger strike, it wasn’t until members of the football team decided not to play before the movement garnered national attention and changes were made. This protest on Mizzou’s campus sparked widespread support and action across other college campuses.
ReplyDelete(http://filmmakermagazine.com/98668-watch-spike-lees-espn-documentary-2-fists-up-protests-at-university-of-missouri/#.WOugiWe1vm4)
Events like the death of Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland mobilized people to push for action. We even see more celebrities today raising their voices about injustices like Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Colin Kappernick (http://people.com/celebrity/how-celebrities-have-supported-black-lives-matter/#beyonc-jay-z). This star power has helped to bring these issues to the forefront of the nation’s conscious. Also, movies like Black Panther highlight the revolution taking place as we, as Black people, realize our true power. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther shows Black people ruling the country of Wakanda, a place where Black tribes rule, women rule the army (Dora Milaje), and advanced technologies are powered by a durable and multipurpose metal called vibranium. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2dYwsmVy6c) Ava Du Vernay showed us the power of our belief in ourselves by highlighting Meg’s journey of self acceptance in A Wrinkle in Time. One of my favorite poems, “Hey, Black Child” by Countee Cullen reads,
“Hey Black Child
Be what you can be
Learn what you must learn
Do what you can do
And tomorrow your nation
Will be what you what it to be”
The fire this time will not be extinguished.
I do believe that the fire this time is here, and I can see it clearly from “The Door.” Not only in our history are black men as a group strong, intelligent, and connected, but so are black women. It can even be argued that black women are actually even stronger and more persistent, adaptive, and able than black men. The sisterhood shown in, “The Door,” is powerful in many different ways. For one, in a white hierarchical America, the position of black people in general, let alone black women, are set very low. Black women are often put at the very bottom of the food chain where we don’t seem to have much intelligence, beauty, or many redeeming qualities at all. From this short film we can see that the images of black women which are constantly portrayed today, are in fact a false representation of black women. Every single woman that came to comfort their friend during this story was different and special in her own way. From the way she dressed, to her skin, hairstyle, and personality, she was beautiful and strong and loving in a unique manner. Even the main character did not fit into the common depiction of a black woman today, although she easily could have. She was obviously very hurt by a man but she wasn’t angry and bitter. Unlike the images we tend to see about black women, they are not all bitter when they get hurt and partying isn’t the only way they want to solve their problems.
ReplyDeleteThe sisterhood and uniqueness of black women in this short film was easy to see. The love that each black woman had for their friend was a fire that can be traced back in time. As (black) women, we should look out for our own and lift each other up as queens especially when one of us is down. Much like the black women of the Black Panther Party, or the ones fighting for their suffrage in the past, we today as black women still come together to fight against injustices and to fight for what we believe in. One small example of this is the seven black women at Mizzou who were the backbone of the events leading to much needed social and political changes on their prejudiced campus.
The last example of the fire of our ancestors that came from this film was from the end of the story. Towards the end, after the woman’s friends helped her to “come back to life”, she went home to her mother. Family is the strongest bond there is, especially for black people, and that fire has not stopped burning. Not only is the family a unit of great importance, but the mother of the family holds so much strength, love, and responsibility. This parallels to the reverence that can for example, be shown for the mother of a church or even a tribe. The main character’s mother had the role of nurturing her and letting her know even when she already knew, that everything was going to be alright. This is another area where (black) women in a way surpass the strength and ability of a man. There are more single-family homes with a mother raising children than not (even with the grandmother participating too), but the kids can very well still turn out just fine and maybe even more driven than others. In the end, the strength, diversity, and abilities of black women although often underrepresented is still here today as it has been all throughout our history.
https://youtu.be/QqpOg60DqA0
Yes the fire is here this time, and will always be around. The different scenarios given have set a base for more of our African American brothers and sisters to be able to embrace themselves. During our discussion in class we talked about the different Afrocentric ideologies specifically based upon women. We connected these Afrocentric ideologies to the women of the Dora Milaje by them embracing their hairstyles and different intricate pieces that were displayed on their attire. In the movie "Black Panther" Okoye had wore a wig that she felt wasnt suitable for her but had to wear it to fit in but expressed how she would rather go back to her blade cut. By her embracing her roots its taking a stand she is saying "No I will not silence my blackness just to meet societal standards". Okoye was fine with the way she looked and prefered it better that way. For the specific time we are in now this was iconic, society tends to shame specifically Black women for either their hair texture or the length which are some of the reasons most Black women revert to weave and extensions. Okoye is not for that, she would rather embrace her natural beauty than submit to changing because someone else made a comment about her.
ReplyDelete“Sisters and brothers in unison, not because of me
Because we don’t glue with the opposition, we glue with peace” Black Panther: Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is the wood that keeps the fire going. Kendrick’s wokeness is shown through various albums. He is the T’Challa of our music. While chanting “King” in the background and starting most of the lyrics with it Kendrick begins envisioning what our ancestors have went through pointing out the problems and who are the enemies. Kendrick continuously reminds us of not what we are but what we have overcome. Speaking on these things so no one will ever be able to forget it.
Finally, to address Killmonger correcting a white women about African history and demanding respect is simply historic. Killmonger has opened the door for African-Americans to correct the white man's "version" of OUR own history. As we all know in school from elementary to highschool history is taught that all these prostegious white men basically saved and created our nation. They only review a small portion of slavery mainly just covering historic figures because they cannot simply be ignored. Killmonger has basically put his foot down which is what most Black people are doing and demanding recognition for what these white people have done to our people. Showing the ones who write our history to not skip over the contingences and the drudgery we have encountered but to accept it.
Source:
https://www.w24.co.za/Beauty/Hairstyles/trust-me-black-women-dont-wear-weaves-because-they-aspire-to-be-white-20170315
Bryce Murray:
ReplyDeleteDo I think the fire is here this time? I do in fact think the fire is here definitely now, many blacks are not as radical as others or some are not about using peaceful acts to get results. I think the fire is burning brighter than it has in years because of the new age of social media, black America is able to get the real news faster and able to search for the truth for themselves. Or gain new knowledge of black intellectuals/Inspirational figures like Dr. Umar Johnson, Farrakhan, Brother Polight, Ryan Coogler, and Ava Duvernay.
A good example to support my views is the Black Panther movie because of the amount of support it received months before it even came out in theaters. And along with the support came a new wave of black pride and a connection with our past. And truly show that black people have to power to determine what is the new cool thing in American popular culture. From the outfits, slang, back story of Killmonger and the strong showing of black female warriors (My favorite part of the movie).
I do believe that the fire this time is here, but I don’t know if I look at the like at that as a good thing. I’m grateful for groups like Black Lives Matter and just the progression of African Americans but it saddens me that today that we still have to fight and have movements just for us to get the racial equality we deserve. The racial discrimination and racial hate attacks towards African Americans hasn’t stopped. This in my opinion justifies the need to to have TV shows like Marvel's Luke Cage, and articles like “Heroes can wear Hoodies”, to try to change the false and negative stigma around African Americans. Luke Cage did a really good job of going outside the norm as far as him being a “Superhero” but he also made very relevant social statements while doing so.
ReplyDeleteFor example, the issue of police brutality and the profiling of innocent black men by white racist law enforcement and often these killings are deemed justifiable homicides. Today I feel African Americans like Cheo Hodari Coke(creator of luke cage) are seeking to rediscover the history and culture of African people in which intellectual interest in black history begins to expand. The quest for self-determination created new challenges to a system that was structured and built on Eurocentric and white supremacy ideology.
The criminal justice system still allow sentencing disparities and black men are discriminated in the legal courts of the United States of America (surely justice is not blind). Which also shown in Luke Cage and Luke cage himself was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit throughout the whole show.
The lack of financial capital and resources creates poverty and disillusionment due to wealth disparities in black community, in particular and amongst poor whites and brown people throughout America in general, which gives way to the prison industrial complex and mass incarceration (Reference: Michelle Alexander; “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”). The fight for social justice has been a continued and ongoing fight for African Americans since the first slave ship arrived to Americas in 1555. Luke Cage and “Heros Can Wear Hoodies Too” have furthered the conversation by continually to rewrite the narrative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqUgumAerGM
The fire that has arisen from our ancestors, being the sense of retaliation or fight for a better future, has always been in our society. With anything that is continuous, there will be times of the spirit being higher than others. At certain moments, the fire may not have been as ravaging as the times of the civil rights’ movement; yet, it has always been some type of internal push. Especially within the last couple of years, there has been a major presence regarding groups being formed to advocate for the rights of black people. Innocent killings of black people, particularly men, have caused an uproar in the black community for change. Hence, social media being a strong point of the new movements, or ignition, for the fire. Back when things would happen in black communities, it would only be heard by word of mouth. Social media stands as a major contributor to the fire being fueled, along with the new access to police body cameras. Now that treatment of black people is out in the open, more people are speaking up against racism and the common mistreatments of black people. For example, the story of the students at Missouri going through the nooses being laid around campus, or even the KKK notes being left in the city of Garner, NC. These two situations caused by new formations of new groups and practices at the institutions, as well as actions being taken nationally by other students. The Spike Lee film, 2 Fists Up, shows my position about how things must go too far before action is taken. Within the film, the students endured everyday racism without saying anything or knowing what action to take. No actions, or groups, were done until the nooses began to show up around Mizzou campus. Moreover, national attention did not come until their football players became involved. It took the school risking money before anyone took interest in the story, or seen how serious this was. Unfortunately, this is how things are done within the black community. The death of an innocent black boy is what begin the movements and groups when racism has never left the forefront of America. It just goes to show that things have to go too far before anyone wants to step up to make the change.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bustle.com/articles/122575-what-is-concerned-student-1950-the-university-of-missouri-peaceful-protests-were-led-by-a-standout
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article191609399.html
The "fire" is definitely here and it isn't going anywhere regardless of how hard people deficient is melanin try. African Americans are using their platforms to speak out on the issues black people face everyday and allowing our struggles to be spotlighted for everyone to see. The arts such as TV and music are also making it possible for the fire to remain sparked.
ReplyDeleteLuke Cage portrays a black protagonist fighting crime in a black hoodie. The cultural significance surrounding the hoodie alone is chilling. White america has stereotyped hoodies and people of color in hoodies to be something dangerous and ill. For a "superhero" to wear a hoodie and to be black is a slap in the face for the worn out stereotype. The action also pays respect to not only Trayvon Martin, but to all of the black people who have been senselessly murdered.
Black Panther also displays how powerful the fire is. Black Panther dismisses so many stereotypes within it's three hour time slot. It all starts with the director, Ryan Coogler, who himself defeats the narrative that black filmmakers can't be successful. Shuri made it known that she is the smartest person in the Marvel world and for her to be a woman, female, black, and a teenager is inspiring and marvelous. Black Panther also shows black women in a positive and dominant light, something that is not normally done. By Coogler doing that he is igniting a fire within a fire by saying that black women do not have to be inferior and are very capable of protecting not only themselves, but a tribe if need be.
In conclusion, the fire will not be put out due to the fact that thousands of African Americans are standing up for what they believe. Twitter users see it every time the log on to view their timeline. College students see through various black-oriented groups like Concerned Student 1950 at Mizzou or the Black Student Union at Clemson. The fire is heard on the radio through the lines of rap songs that are deemed trendy for white people. There is no escaping the power of the black voice and those who try to stop it will only be pushed aside and left in the rubble of progression.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/opinion/ct-abn-aurora-black-panther-column-st-0304-20180301-story.html
https://orgsync.com/22719/chapter
https://www.bustle.com/articles/122575-what-is-concerned-student-1950-the-university-of-missouri-peaceful-protests-were-led-by-a-standout
Absolutely, I feel the fire is here. I feel like as African Americans we are like the little kid who kept getting bullied and after years it finally hit the last straw. I am referring to African Americans holding in the fire and after holding it in so long, the fire burst out. African Americans have been going through the worst for centuries and now we are given the platforms to express ourselves and so the world how we feel.
ReplyDeleteRecent movies and TV shows have put African Americans in roles that give special meaning. For example, Luke Cage is a Black man in Harlem that is a bullet proof. This is significant because after Trayvon Martin, our community has payed much more attention to innocent black lives that were taken from people such as police officers. Also in this show, they touched on racial profiling when everyone was wearing hoodies with holes so the police couldn't find Luke Cage easily. Also, this is great because it shows the a African American male can be a hero without wearing a cape. Someone from Harlem who grew up and can relate to a lot of Blacks.
Black Panther was the gasoline to our fire. Never has there been a time the African Americans promoted, supported and enjoyed a film or anything text related. This film showed us very small things such as black males growing up without a father. This movie also showed female empowerment and showed that women can do the same thing as men and sometimes better. We are shown this with the all women army and Shuri being over the technology sector. The film also shows how we always work together as a community to make it past huge obstacles. Cooger goes against a lot of societies thoughts about Blacks. The African Americans in the film are supportive, educated, and powerful. Also, Wakanda is a thriving environment in a better standing than America.
Social Media is one of the main reasons the fire has ignited and has increased exponentially rate. Now we are able to voice our opinions on multiple levels and anyone can do it at any age. It is easy to organize events and start groups as well, This is how the movement of my generation started, Black Lives Matter. Fire also comes through music too. A lot of rappers drop music about discrimination and life as a black man. Overall, we are all fed up and the country is starting to hear it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/learning/is-black-panther-a-defining-moment-for-the-united-states-and-particularly-for-black-america.html
http://time.com/luke-cage-team/
I do think the fire is here and is going to stay forever. People can try to take away that fire but I really don't see it ever going away. I have especially seen it in relation to the Black Panther movie. In this movie it showed black people as smart, intelligent, rich people with a lot of pride for their culture. In many other movies blacks aren't even given a huge role or if it is a huge role there is always something stereotypical wrong with there lifestyle. Black Panther it also showed black women being able to go into battle and protect their tribe just like men could. The fire from our ancestors can also be seen in the real world with the reaction to seeing the Black Panther. All over the world black people had been showing up to the movies dressed in African clothing to show their support for the movie. The movie opened a lot of people's eyes and truly made people feel a connection to our past. It was also good to see the main super hero of a movie be black because most of them today are white.
ReplyDeleteLuke Cage can be seen as another example of the fire because he brought a more real world sense to Black America. Luke Cage had so many references to the real world like the hoodie with bullet holes in it. The actor that played Luke said that the hoodie was a "Nod" to Trayvon Martin and people like him that had been killed. He said that it was to show that there is hope in the community and to bring awareness to people. We can see that the fire is still there from our ancestors because people are still trying to spread awareness about how black people are being oppressed still in modern times.
Todd McCauley ---
ReplyDeleteResponding to this question from a black male’s perspective, I can say that the fire has been sparked but isn’t here, yet. I feel this way because there have moments of progression, embers for the flames if you will, that have sparked. This fact is reinforced by Black Panther and Luke Cage. Still, with that being said, there is more work to be done. Through the narrative of Black Panther, we’re reminded of the frequent fate of countless black boys, growing up fatherless. Abandoned, and equally important, teacher-less, black boys are often led astray and wind up being negatively influenced by their environments. We see this statistic personified in the mind and actions of Erik Stevens. Without his father (his link to his ancestry), or a constructive male role model to teach him what it really means to be a man (i.e. employing respect, accountability, responsibility, care for your own, etc.), he’s formed into what he know as Killmonger, completely abandoning his roots. This is reinforced when he transcends into the ancestral plane. What little ancestral identity he has remains confined within the apartment where his father was killed.
Black Panther does portray a broken black male psyche but conversely portrays the black potential via the social structure of Wakanda. T’Challa is a beautiful example of what potential lies dormant for all black men: Greatness. What he was fortunate to have that Killmonger didn’t was access to his rich African lineage chock full of good men (shown via the family “tree” in the ancestral plane). The effects this difference had are glaring to say the least: T’Challa had an enormous respect for the great women in his life (Wakandan patriarchy), while Killmonger saw them as an expendable resource and of lesser value (Western patriarchy). T’Challa took responsibility for his actions and put others before himself; Killmonger did the exact opposite. The list can go on and on. The pivotal point here is that Black Panther provides an incredible, and unapologetically black, blueprint for young boys to follow, which is a spark to start the fire to say the least.
In a world where Stephon Clark can be shot 6 times in the back for holding a cell phone in his own backyard, a bulletproof black man is exactly what we need right now. Luke Cage is a beacon of strength and courage in the face of a nearly constant threat. The fact that I’m terrified to be pulled over, not because of the ticket fee but because I might lose my life, is a harsh reality. Under constant pressure, Luke Cage still is able to unite a community, which I believe is a symbol for black power when we come together. Additionally, in class you threw out the question “why aren’t women received well in barbershops?”. Since we really didn’t provide you with an clear answer then, here’s my reasoning: The barbershop ecosystem focuses more on the inclusion of men rather than the exclusion of women. I think Luke Cage put it best when calling it “Switzerland”. The barbershop for men is a place of neutrality and unity. Let me emphasize the fact that we greatly love our women, but time without them is also essential. Having a space that filters out the opinions or judgement of women, some of the static of life, and societal stereotypes is pretty priceless. In the shop, men are men, no more and no less. So, when a woman breaches that barrier we stop talking as Will said. This is because with her invariably comes the fear of judgement, the desire to impress, and conversations exclusive to the experiences of men going out the window. This is no fault of her own but there are undeniable differences that exist between the lives men and women, and, to me, its crucial to have some separation of the two.
Call it a spark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4qvb2WrEdA
The fire this time is the ignition of a flame that has been sparked by our ancestors within us. It is that passion and desire that we have to not only reshape society's colonized way of thinking, but to not stop until we see our dreams and our plans come to fruition. Examples of this are shown in the majority of the films we've discussed, if not all, but are portrayed especially in "The Black Panther" and "Spike Lee's Lil Joints: 2 Fists Up".
ReplyDeleteIn "The Black Panther", everything that is forced to be put into perspective in reality, is depicted differently; from the technology to the multiple aspects of African culture. Yes, Eric Killmonger is portrayed as the antagonist of the film, but the irony in that is he was a creation of people who were not his own, representing the mindset that some of us have been conditioned to. However, Eric also had a broader viewpoint of the world around him because he hasn't been sacred to the confined space of Wakanda. He understood that in order to beat the "system", he needed to go and learn it from the inside out, all whilst knowing that others like him had to carry the same burden because they didn't have access to or knowledge of vibranium. Even in the Black Panther soundtrack Kendrick Lamar correlates the story line to his own perspectives on T'Challa and Killmonger's viewpoints, and how he personally connects with them both. Ryan Coogler expanded so many minds in this film and broke so many boundaries, especially through his portrayal of the Dora Milaje in all their glory. The world has yet to see strong, fearless, beautiful female warriors who are designed to protect their country, as well as the man who serves as their king, all without the help of one. The simple image was unheard of because of what people are so used to seeing in Hollywood films. The characters in this film are seen fighting literally on the verge of death for a change they want to see occur.
This is very much like the protestor's in Spike Lee's "2 Fists Up". Such students can be seen as weak when being presented as an individual, but there is greatness and strength in numbers. Instead of waiting around for the opportunity of removing racism from the University of Missouri (Mizzou) to present itself, they created their own. Students are viewed as naive in society simply because of their age. People fail to realize that the desire to spark change is first ignited in the youth because we don't have much to lose. Our priorities, our future isn't set in stone, making it the best time for us to act out while we still can, and that's exactly what students such as Opal Tameti, Storm Ervin, Bree Newsome and Payton Head did. No one else knows of all the time, effort, sacrifices and tribulations you had to endure as a student protesting against racism at Mizzou, besides those who actually did it. From hunger strikes to "die-ins", to getting Tim Wolfe removed from office because he did not have all of the students best interest at heart, these "students" did it all! Not only did this take on national news, but students at other colleges across the country stood in solitude.
Ryan Coogler and Spike Lee are far from filmmakers who go with the traditional flow of Hollywood paradigm, so why should their films, let alone their film subjects, be any different? The goal is not to dictate what people think about, it's to expand their minds in how to think; to broaden their perspective, and with the messages being portrayed through these films as proof, the fire this time is here, and it is not burning out any time soon.
I feel that the fire is present, but we do not have the elements we need to keep it going so it continues on a cycle of being ignited then being extinguished. Examples of this are expressed in the movies Black Panther and 2 Fists Up, and the TV show Luke Cage.
ReplyDeleteA fire needs a combination of three elements to exist and burn continuously: heat, fuel, and oxygen. Between the mass incarceration of our brothers and sisters, the unnecessary killing of our people, and the mocking and mistreatment of our community that happens on almost a daily basis, there is not a lack of causes and injustices to fight for and join. I feel that people lack the heat or passion it takes to take on a cause. A cause can be started by one person, but it needs continuous support to thrive. In 2 Fists Up, we see a cause that students were trying to fight for: the resignation of their college president who clearly was not taking them seriously in their concerns about campus issues. When the hunger strike happened, it was one person going on the strike with a core group of supporters. Many students stood by and watched what happened, but did not have that same passion that the one young man (Jonathan Butler) had. One of the main reasons results were witnessed was because of the football team joining this movement and respectability politics taking over. How much faster would the resignation of the president have happened if say 50 students had more of a passion and went on a hunger strike? The football team might have saved this movement otherwise the fire may have been extinguished and the president would possibly still be there today.
If the passion is there, then sometimes there is a lack of support or fuel to keep the movement going. In Luke Cage, we see a man that is thrust into the position of superhero for the city of Harlem while he is on a journey of defending his own name. In the beginning of the episode "The Soliloquy of Chaos", there was very little support for Luke; he was literally being hunted by the police. It was not until Method Man put a message out there and began selling holey hoodies that people backed the movement and supported Luke Cage. What about the communities that do not have a Luke Cage to fight for them? They often start movements but the fuel soon gives out when people think they have to fight for themselves; to stand behind someone is one thing but stand for one's own self is another matter. This is why the civil rights movement seems to come out strong and then fade away. When the Jena 6 were in trouble and tried as adults, leaders, rappers, and supporters were there, but where were was the fuel and support to stand up for the other young children that were wrongfully tried as adults? Again that raises the point of respectability politics. Without the fuel the fire gets extinguished.
The most important element of the fire to me is the oxygen. The oxygen for the fire in our community would be the next generation. They are the ones that fan the flames and keep the fire burning, but with apathetic attitudes and looking at black exceptionalism as the norm not a skewed reality, many in our generation are running from being the oxygen in a movement. In the movie Black Panther, we meet Eric (Kilmonger). We discussed in class how his upbringing and western colonization caused him to see the world differently from T'Challah. T'Challah grew up in Wakanda, so he knew the power and importance of fanning the flames of the fire that his ancestors had started. Eric was raised on the streets of America were we do not teach the next generation to continue the movements and fights of our people, but we teach them to go get what one can to help oneself succeed. A selfish mentality is mostly inculcated into the children of today, so we don't have the oxygen to keep the fire going and end up with children more like Eric and less like T'Challah. Then our fire gets extinguished.
I believe that the fire is here. There are more films being created showing our culture-the right way. Often times when people of color appear on movies and television they acct in a stereotypical manner. However, in shows such as Luke Cage, there are so many complex characters. Luke has a huge heart and he is bullet proof. Cage is very humble with his special abilities. He is very selective about using it around people who are unaware of his powers. Cottonmouth would be considered the "thug" of thi show. However, he is a very complex character. The creators of this show expose what made him this way and how he struggles with that thinking back to his childhood. Luke Cage (the show)touches on current issues as well. Police brutality is addressed. The hoodies he wears represents Trayvon Martin. Also, this show highlights a pivotal moment in African-American culture, the Harlem Renaissance. Each episode addresses something involving with the Harlem Renaissance from the artist to the music. This how shows the complexity of black individuals. Itt shows that we are proud of our culture. It shows that our black men are not just thugs. It shows that our women can lead too. Misty was strong, fearless, and independent. Her boss was a woman as well.
ReplyDeleteShows like this reveal that the fire is here. In addition to shows, I have to address The Black Panther. The Black Panther shows African is a wealthy manner for once. Often times, African countries are seen as less developed and poor. This movie highlighted technological advances being made, how rich the land is in resources, and that all Africans are not poor. This movie showed African people in a royal manner. The characters exuded royalty, confidence, and poise. A women of all black-women was featured. They were strong, beautiful and exuded grace. These examples in the movie I provided only scratch the surface. This movie has so many underlying meanings exposing the complexity of black people in general and the wealth that we come from. This is proof once again that the fire is here. It is not leaving because I can definitely see other black filmmakers getting inspired by this and continuing this movement.
http://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/luke-cage-marvel-netflix-hoodie-1201731764/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGWF0NuQZ90
The fire in our culture continues to burn. The African American culture continues to spark movements and new ideals in order to become recognized for the hardships that we have been through. In Kendrick Lamar and The Weekend's song "Pray for Me", you can hear a battle happening in parts of the song. I recognize this as the battle that African Americans have to deal with on a regular basis. The Weekend has an opening line that says, "I'm always ready for a war again", which tells me that he has become desensitized to the fact that war is happening. To be ready for war always means that your defenses are up. The fire that both Kendrick and The Weekend touches on in this song is an example of how it does not matter the circumstance, that given the opportunity African Americans will burn down what is necessary to build our culture up. The chants within the song are also a reminder that our culture is embedded in us and that our ancestors are behind us praying for us and cheering us on so that we may have chances that they could not receive. In 2 Fists Up, the fire to see change in not only a community but within a primarily white institution shows that African Americans continue to push limits and boundaries. We see that in 2 Fists Up, a young man goes on a hunger strike to get the president of their university removed because the president showed his white privilege when it came to certain situations on campus. How did this young man stay alive? He survived because of a burning fire for change. The fire within himself sparked others to help him make a change to their school. The football team in this college was the oil to this young man's flame. Once people realized what was going on and what it was for they started spreading the news like a wildfire. Not only does it take one burning passion to start a movement in our culture, but it also spreads quickly, one after another. In a YouTube video called History of Civil Rights Movement, we can see that the Civil Rights was a spreading wildfire. The flame had begun to be passed around from southern state to southern state. African Americans could not seat around as their fellow brother and sister were being taken away for having the courage to defend themselves. When watching this video, I realized that Eric Killmonger had the same fire that our ancestors had. He just wanted a better life for his fellow African American brothers and sisters. He wanted to make a change and when he heard of how great Wakanda was doing for itself, he used his fire to try and bring that same resource to his fellow people who are struggling daily. Eric Killmonger may not have used his strength in the best way, but he did have an idea and stuck to it, like our ancestors did. Thanks to Black Panther and its success, our culture was seen by others who usually do not have the same views as us. It gave us a chance to show them that we are not just one sided or one track minded. Black Panther was for our culture, but it was also to educate those who only see us from behind their TV sets or from behind a twitter name or hashtag. The fire in the African American culture cannot be put it out because we continue to find new ways to spark a flame.
ReplyDelete(YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URxwe6LPvkM)
Yes I believe that the fire is here. Modern day film makers have done a very good job in attempting to showcase our resilience and lay forth a positive image for future generations.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best examples of this is Black Panther. Black Panther is one of the highest grossing films in decades. The imagery in the film helps to portray not only a strong African self, but a strong Family. One of my favorite examples from this film is the way that they portray women. These women are not merely shown through the male gaze like most films. They show strong women who are warriors and protect their nation. Along with that they are highly respected in their community and by their king. While these women are portrayed as being strong, their femininity is not compromised by this. They are still shown as being multifaceted individuals and are shown as being beautiful without Eurocentric beauty standards.
In addition to showing the fire from the sense of an African female perspective the film tackles a much larger issue that still must be discussed today. Towards the end Wakanda decides to open to the remainder of the world and assist in aiding people affected by the diaspora. Today in America we often have a superiority about ourselves and our culture see us as being superior. In the same way that some people from the continent of Africa view American blacks as being inferior. We need to focus on black solidarity and support one other. The African proverb “I am because we are” rings true in this meaning that we can not be docile and sit back knowing that others that look like us are suffering. We need to support one another because we cannot succeed unless all of us on this forward movement.
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https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/ixNTSYEGQYAVZ8RVhzktncXS2mA/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2018/02/08/952/n/1922283/15d538bd5c140786_BlackPanther596d2f06b448b/i/Okoye-Nakia-Ayo.jpg
Alesia Smyre
ReplyDeleteI believe "the fire" has been burning for quite some time now. The present day fire has been smoldering from the coals of the Civil rights movement and has been sparked by police brutality and new age racism. The fire has been reignited and is being personified in the bodies of our generation. The fire has been building and building growing hotter and hotter, and now the flames are too large and too hot to ignore. Black people as a whole have been becoming more and more woke, slowly but surely for quite some time now. There is evidence in the gradual awakening of blacks and the reformation of our role in society. The fire can clearly be seen in the films of Ryan Coogler and Ava Duvernay.
The Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler brings a large contribution to the fire. This contribution is Erik Killonger! Erik Killmonger represents to me the strong black male that America needs to see. Erik Kilmonger is a hyperbole of the woke black man in todays society. Erik Killmonger is a revolutionary, though he is often times radical and aggressive he has good intentions for his people and will not be ignored by anyone that he wants to hear him. Another contribution to the image of the strong black man is Luke Cage. Luke cage by Cheo Coker is the story of a man that wears a bullet proof hoodie, thus, being related to all the police brutality that has recently been being witnessed in the media. Black teens are being racially profiled and being labeled as dangerous for wearing hoodies at night in stores or just out in public period. But when it comes to Luke Cage his hoodie is his protection! Luke cage is the super hero we all needed, especially our young black men.
Another important contribution to the fire is the role of women. The role of women is completely made over in Ryan Cooglers "The Black Panther". In The Black panther the role of black women is a perfect match of strength, intelligence and beauty. You see this role in the royal guards, an all female army tasked with protecting their king. The women in the royal army are beautiful in their natural skin and are the type of women that you would hate to be on their bad side. Women can be strong and beautiful but never have to be limited to just one or the other. Ava Duvernays "The Door" is also a major representation of the fire. To me The Door symbolizes a refreshment of the every day black woman. The Door is so important because of the way the women are portrayed. The woman are portrayed as smart, beautiful, classy, and elegant. This is a welcome contradiction to the ghetto, poor, angry black woman stereotype. Black women seeing and realizing they can be more and don't have to add to the stereotype is very important to the fire.
In conclusion, The fire can only stay burning if it is embraced by the black man and the black woman. The black man can see the roles of Erik Killmonger and Luke Cage and be inspired by their image of strength and leadership and model themselves after them. The black woman can see these examples of her potential in the roles of the women in "The Black Panther" and The door and be inspired to go against what society thinks is the norm and aim higher. By keeping this era of reformation and wokeness alive the fire could never smolder or burn out.
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/02/black-panther-erik-killmonger/553805/
http://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/luke-cage-marvel-netflix-hoodie-1201731764/
I believe the fire is HERE! Black people are at the forefront of popular culture right now. We are finally breaking through the barriers and it is very clear that we have came a very long way from Birth of a Nation. One example to support this is Ava DuVernay's "The Door".
ReplyDeleteDuVernay's "The Door" is so important not only from a viewer's perspective but from a production perspective as well. The story shows a black woman in a vulnerable state. This is not shown very often and if so it is done in a over dramatized way that can take away from it being genuine. Black women have commonly been portrayed as loud, hot blooded and difficult. But DuVernay tells a beautiful story of a woman being uplifted by other black women in the wake of a divorce. It shows pain, heartbreak, happiness, forgiveness, and friendship. A complex story but the irony is in the fact that that the film is silent.
For a big fashion company like Miu Miu to ask Ava to do a project of this scale is also monumental! An Italian company wanting a black woman to show her interpretation of their brand using black women is amazing. Miu Miu gave DuVernay everything she needed to complete her vision. They even made custom pieces so her vision was portrayed truly in DuVernay fashion. This shows that it was not about just getting someone who could make a good film that would make the brand look good. I was truly a collaboration and they allowed her to tell her story in a meaningful way.
"The Door is not something that has been seen very often in the past. An amazing story with complexity. By a black woman for black women with black beauty being at the visual forefront.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNM0ha87eU0
https://womenandhollywood.com/ava-duvernay-directs-short-film-the-door-for-miu-miu/
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/q-a-director-ava-marie-duvernay-on-her-glam-new-video-for-miu-miu-20130208
ttps://www.interviewmagazine.com/fashion/ava-duvernay-brings-us-through-the-door
Yes, the fire this time is here and it is not going away. And there are so many different forms of the fire. In almost every film that we have watched and discussed I feel like the fire is present. Ranging from the Spike Lee film about the students at Mizzou to "Queen Sugar", "Luke Cage", and "The Door" and not to mention "Black Panther". In these films we see the fire in young adults, strong black men, and strong beautiful black women. The films are not only broadcasting the talents of the actors but also of the filmmakers. The films can be viewed in several different angles: talent, beauty, rage, awareness, and versatility.
ReplyDeleteIf the filmmakers keep that same energy with their future films it will be too hard to put the fire out. All of these films are realistic and relevant to our black society today. I have never experienced a time like such. I also want to add how the filmmakers haven't been "sugar coating" anything to fit the audience of white people. I love how black people are actually going out and supporting our other black people. Now if only we can keep this fire burning when it is time to vote.
The fire is most definitely here. As African Americans we have been treated wrongfully since the beginning and we are sick of it. Now that we are finally given an opportunity to express ourselves we want the world to see and understand.
ReplyDeleteThere has been numerous of tv shows and movies that give African Americans a certain role. Luke Cage portrays a black protagonist fighting crime in a black hoodie. This has cultural relevancy because white folk has stereotyped hoodies and people of color in hoodies to be a threat/ dangerous. It was a brilliant idea for a "superhero" to wear a hoodie and to be black. It may help people stray away from the stereotype. Trayvon Martin was defiantly a inspiration for this.
I feel as though a lot of fire comes from music but what really brung people together was the Black Lives Matter movement. We can credit social media for that.
The Fire is here! As clearly shown from the images there by the African Americans being the height of popularity. All of the images shown from the various movies and films show that people are beginning to see the beauty of the people shown.
ReplyDeleteThe Door shows perspective from all stand points of both the viewer and the company. Black Panther shows that a film showing mostly black people can be an amazing film. Soon there is no more barriers to be had between races if films like these can continue to be created for people everywhere to view and understand, we are here!
By Damon M.
DeleteAttention! Attention! The fire is here. We see the spark of the fire in films like 2 fists up Lil Joints, Conversations with Ava DuVernay, and Black Panther. In these films we see the rise of assembly and purpose.
ReplyDeleteSpike Lee’s documentary “2 fists up lil joints” demonstrated collective efforts, various protest methods, and exemplified the spotlight syndrome. The collective effort from the student body at Mizzou displayed persistence when fighting for equality. In class, we discussed the different stages of protest used during the film. The students demonstrated with sit-ins, die-ins, hunger strikes, and walk-outs to fight the racial discrimination they were experiencing on campus. This film showed the importance of collective efforts when demanding change. The spotlight syndrome was shown when the school’s football team decided not to play. Instantly, we saw rapid change once millions of dollars had the potential of being lost. The attention the protests accumulated made it impossible to ignore the cause and gradually initiated change. These students had the fire to fight no matter how long or what measures they had to take.
The reading, “Conversation with Ava DuVernay” exemplified the fire through her principles and her T.V series “Queen Sugar”. DuVernay’s mission to add more representation of blacks in front and behind the camera starts with several principles. The following principles are: get the story down first, before you go knocking on the door, know who is in there, work with what you have, have a story with social purpose affirming sisterhood and the beauty of black women, don’t work in isolation, and be self determining. In class, we discussed how DuVernay was able to apply these principles in her films. Queen Sugar displayed many themes that celebrated the beauty and resilience of African American families. Themes such as the black family nucleus, black female subjectivity, and black beauty are apparent. DuVernay created characters that embodied different stories present in the African American community. For instance, Nova’s character was the afrocentric activist, that enforced her culture and ancestral background in her daily life. In class, we referenced Sarah Baartman as we studied how sexuality and promiscuity emerged in the African American community. DuVernay not only uses the fire to create more opportunity for African American people in the film industry but also uses the fire to celebrate and preserve the culture of African Americans in her films.
Ryan Coogler continues to capture the fire in his third film,”Black Panther”. This film showed a different image of Africa, African Americans, and our culture. Coogler created the royal guard and Dkoye to illustrate the brilliance and strength of African American women. Coogler created Wakanda to show the unity and power that African American communities have. The news often portray our communities in turmoil and our people malnourished and ignorant. However, Black Panther showed a different view. The fire used to create this movie has resulted in record breaking numbers.
There is no doubt the fire is among us. We see an appreciation for our culture through films that celebrate our blackness. We see African Americans organizing platforms to broadcast their voice through films. We also see our commitment to change whether its on a college campus on in an entire industry.
Yes I can say the fire is here we have many examples from Ava Duvernay film production, Black panther, The Door. Throughout these films you are seeing black production back on top, in the film we watched “The Door” giving Black women that beauty and culture aspect, a shift change gives us young men a different view of the importance of female friend relationships and the respect that they hold for eachother. These films are serving Purpose. Black panther gives you the strength of Black women once again Royal court and this film is another voice for us, makes me think about all we been through as a culture, you see the importance of the the different view you don’t usually see African cultures as rich and wealthy they live in a beautiful place and that’s what this film is doing looking into our future and you get a whole shift change from the normal African culture that’s seen as poor, no voice to reach out to. This is what Ryan Coogler is trying to portray with this film to get us to see that we are on top at this point and we can only go up from here. This film goes down in the books.
ReplyDeleteDamon Mealey:
ReplyDeleteYes the fire is here!, as seen in so many of the pictures seen here the public is now opening up to the idea that black people either in the main role, creating or giving expression within the film that we are reaching the height of popularity.
The Door gives the beauty and breathtaking visuals that comes with being a black women, her skin tone, figure, expressions and even the sistahood that follows strongly in the film supports this. Black Panther not only has a leading black/african american role but the women in the film takes the idea of black/african american women being weak and turns it upside down! They are the leading army! They see the idea of guns as useless and primitive them, that's proof enough that they know how to bring a fight to anyone male or otherwise.
The Culture and everything that comes from all of these films following the view point that the filmmakers and actors try and succeeded to show to the audience fills us with purpose, that we can be seen from the thought of African culture being weak or poor to the idea that we are strong and capable people to move forward to the future!
The Fire is here, and our time is coming!