When I watched Freedom Summer, I was shocked by a number of things: *how Freedom Summer was about people of all colors rising up against racism and segregation *how they did it with courageous spirits and open hearts, knowing that they could loose their liberty and/or their lives in the process *how they were jailed and killed at alarming rates when they were simply sitting in a cafe or driving through a certain state with unity *how they did all of this because they realized the importance of enacting the right to vote, as opposed to just writing down a law on a piece of paper From here, I moved on to An Ordinary Hero, and would like to share some quotes from Dove's synopsis and movie review, as follows: "The National Civil Rights Museum declared, 'This film belongs alongside those of other freedom rights champions.' Experience the incredible true story of Joan Mulholland’s courage to help change the world. As a little girl growing up in the South, Joan witnessed the ugly realities of segregation and racism first hand and vowed to one day do something about it. By the time she was 19 years old, Joan had already participated in over three dozen sit-ins and protest when was put on death row in Mississippi’s notorious Parchman Penitentiary after joining the Freedom Rides… but that was just the beginning of an incredible true story that has captivated millions around the world." "Along with others, Joan took freedom rides on a bus, making a declaration of their belief in equal rights for all. This was unheard of in the south during those early days of the Civil Rights movement. Joan herself is interviewed in this film as well as others who lived during this time." "Featured in the DVD are writers Eric Etheridge, author of 'Breach of Peace', who talks about buses being attacked during the freedom rides. Also featured is Michael J. O’Brien, author of “We Shall Not Be Moved”, who speaks of the bus demonstrations and freedom rides as well as sharing biographical information about Joan." What I loved about this movie was that it all started based on a walk through a community with a friend where Joan "witnessed the ugly realities of segregation and racism first hand" and vowed from that day forward to be an ally and a part of the solution. This movie moved me to watch The Uncomfortable Truth, to learn more about Joan Mulholland, in this case through the eyes of her son. According to a student led panel by college media outlet The Signpost, "Mulholland decided to tell his family’s story through making a documentary as a way of inspiring others to take a step back and carefully examine their perceptions, beliefs and culpability in cultivating any racial barriers. 'I did it because I needed to say something. I hope what people get out of it is understanding, and to check their preconceived notions,' Mulholland explained. 'Knowledge is power. If they have that knowledge they can actually work on it and that is the first step towards empathy.' The panel discussion, featuring civil rights activist Luvaghn Brown and Freedom Rider Joan T. Mulholland, focused on racism and the ways we can learn to overcome it by working with others. Brown stressed the importance of talking to people you wouldn’t normally talk to and encouraged the idea of having a conversation with someone who has different views than you. “Go out tomorrow and look around you and ask, ‘What can I do?'” Brown said. “Just the willingness to act is enough. Do something small if you can’t do something big, but do something.” Since my last blogpost, I also watched 13th and a couple others, and I have to say, if you watch just one movie on this topic, this is the one to watch. I will continue reviewing some, if not all, of the following movies in my upcoming blogposts, as well as sharing my continued actions in uprooting racial bias, both inherent and extrinsic, aquired and external. Anita Hill: Speaking Truth to Power I Am Not Your Negro You Belong to Me: Sex, Race, and Murder in the South Salute Just Mercy Life of a King Brian Banks Marshall Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution The Hate U Give Harriet Tubman: They Called Her Moses Where Do We Go From Here? In the meantime, if you haven't started your own personal journey of education and action, I encourage you to do so now. And if you have, I would love for you to share with me your insights and recommendations, so that we may fulfill our calling of learning from and growing with each other.
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It has taken me a bit of time to gather my thoughts in a way that would clearly express my sentiments during our current period in history. As a white person, I had to ask myself what I could do to support my friends and loved ones who are people of color, keeping in mind that the reality of what Jane Elliott says, "there is only one race: the human race," citing research that shows that the origins of the human race began in Africa and that, based, on this information, we are all simply varying shades of melanin. While I was collecting my thoughts, I figured that education was the best place to start, since there was a stay at home order and also as a response to my inherent bias, which I was aware of and trying to avoid from the beginning. I ended on both education and action, although the latter came as a result of the former, which I will explain in the review below on The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. In case you looking for an immediate way to respond quickly to our shared environment, you can find information about The Million Letter Movement on the website or the group Facebook page. As an aside, two things that I didn't know about Jane's "blue eyes" experiment are 1) with the first class she did the experiment, she asked the children first if they wanted to learn about discrimination and how it feels before conducting the experiment and 2) that one of the letters in response to the experiment was this ironic and appalling quotation, "How dare you try this cruel experiment out on white children? Black children grow up accustomed to such behavior, but white children, there's no way they could possibly understand it. It's cruel to white children and will cause them great psychological damage." As part of my education, although I turned to books as I often do to learn, I may write an upcoming post about the books I have read, as I find that movies are a faster and easier route to education during a pandemic. The first movie I watched was Liberty and Slavery: The Paradox of America's Founding Fathers. I found it enlightening and insightful, including the quotes about the bible, which can be summarized as follows: the original translation of slave was servant, and the history of indentured servants is that they were working a certain number of years in exchange for passage and "freedom dues," as opposed to enslaved persons who were kidnapped against their will and forced to work their entire life without a contract that promises freedom after the contract period was over. In this proves an important realization - that the bible does not condone slavery, as so many believe that it does, or that you and I may have even been taught as children to be true. There is nothing godly about slavery, and beyond common sense telling us this, we now have tangible evidence to prove the obvious truth behind this statement. When I watched The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, this is when I knew that I had to act, above and beyond simply gaining and sharing the education I received. As I was watching the movie, I realized that my grandmother was alive when Emmett Till, a 14 year-old boy was murdered for engaging with a white woman (i.e. handing her change for gum, and later whistling at her as a boyish prank), and I thought to myself, "If she was alive during this time, what did she do?" which I quickly translated to the self reflection of "If I am alive during this time, what I am going to do?" I realized that I could look back and have the same experience years later, or I could actually take action now and make a difference. In the intention of writing a post that is an acceptable length for reading, I will end for now and pick up with my next blogposts to review some or all of the following movies, shows, and/or documentaries: Freedom Summer Anita Hill: Speaking Truth to Power I Am Not Your Negro You Belong to Me: Sex, Race, and Murder in the South Salute Just Mercy Life of a King An Ordinary Hero The Uncomfortable Truth Brian Banks Marshall Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution The Hate U Give Harriet Tubman: They Called Her Moses Where Do We Go From Here? In the meantime, if you haven't started your own personal journey of education and action, I encourage you to do so now. And if you have, I would love for you to share with me your insights and recommendations, so that we may fulfill our calling of learning from and growing with each other. |
AuthorValerie Ellis, who is in alignment with the Black Lives Matter Movement and everyone whose life is impacted, now or before, by times of social injustice. Archives
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