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[florencef]

The Girl With All the Gifts: Blog Post 6

Melanie in The Girl With All the Gifts was stuck in a corner and isolated. She was set apart, which was seen when she answered the riddles, was the only Black person, controlling the hungries, unknowingly choosing who the Doctor experimented on, and her beautiful short story. I see myself in Melanie in so many ways. I never thought I could relate to a character so much. I even had my own Ms. Justineau, the woman who never doubted me when my world was crashing. I too was subjected to disgusting names that became my identity. For Melanie, it was “frigging abortions,” for me, it was fat, slow, not good enough, Moto Moto, ugly. For both, our hearts remained pure as we faced hate from all around. 

My Ms. Justineau, was my first-grade teacher Mrs. Benach. They say you never forget those who helped you when you were low, and oh, was she unforgettable. I was going through hell at home and school. This affected my academic performance and social life. My first-grade teacher saw my weariness in my behavior and attitudes towards others. She offered support beyond my little mind's understanding at the time, but the memory can never fade. She fought against the stereotypical boxes my peers and teachers put me in. She sought the understanding of me when the people in her circle told her it was better to give up. Through my mistakes and flaws, she was my Ms. Justineau, instilling in me constant hope that I am bigger than what THEY call me. Ms. Justineau, Ms.Benach, two blessed souls, the same, all in one. 

In my mind, my hungries represent people who are just like me, Black, bigger, insecure, internally lonely girls. They are strong enough to fight the oppression, and people destroy them because they are scared to be a part of or associated with our group. When Melanie says, “I don't want to be a hungry,” and the doctor explains it was part of her, Melanie described how I felt and still feel on some days. I used to tell myself I don’t want to be Black, and now it transformed to I don't want to be big, I don't want to be ugly, and on some days, I don’t want to be me. As much as I hate it, what the doctor said is the truth. True freedom comes from accepting that I am who I am, but I must change the negative connotations I associate with myself. I did this with being Black, as it othered me, but it made me, me. I am so proud of that part of me, even if the world is in opposition to me because of it.

[florencef]

Sinners

Holding on until the end. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” In Sinners, Sammie was conflicted with his burning desire to play Blues, and the religious conviction that came from his father. Religion was seen as a suppression to Sammie; however, I have a different testimony to what religion means to me.

In Sammie's eyes, he couldn’t let go of his guitar, and music was his key to freedom. I have a flipped mindset. I believe that God is freedom, and the world is destruction. So I’ll tell my story Florence style, my guitar is my writing.

I can’t say I don’t relate to Sammie, as I remember growing up and dreading my long Christian sermons. I remember wondering why I constantly have to pray EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, the Lord felt like a chore, and my connection to Him felt completely artificial. So, I dipped my feet in the dark side to see if that would energize my soul. The world came with parties, cussing, drugs, and alcohol, and on the front page of that life, it seemed lovely. I saw myself feeling lively, I saw myself basking in the desires I grew up protected against. Every child needs to learn on their own, and oh, did I surely learn. 

I realized the front page of that world was all a facade, and behind those pages and smiles were pain, guilt, and internal torment. It was the best world, with internal dread. It was like with every party I went to, every shot I took, I felt my soul depleting from my body. I had to retrace my footsteps and go back to what I knew, the Lord. I did things a bit differently and went back on my own accord. I went to explore Him by myself, without force. I realized God was the freedom I needed in my suffering. 

The enemy knows the Lord, too, and he will tempt you with what you believe your heart desires; however, the more you indulge, the more you’ll fall. This is seen perfectly when Sammie indulges in the Blues, and the ceiling literally catches on fire. That was a representation hellfire to me, and it showed me that when we indulge in our deepest desires, we may feel that temporary high, but what’s to come is nothing like what we can bear. Even in the end, sometimes our sins are too deep to let go of, as Sammie never let go of his guitar after everything, demonstrating how the enemy can strip you of everything, but our hearts can still trick us into thinking it is what we need. I am growing and I am learning, and in some ways I am still Sammie, but I remember what Sammie’s dad said in the beginning scene. 1 Corinthians 10:13.

[florencef]

Eve's Bayou

The loss of her. The loss of the heart. Subjected to the pain of lies. She was encapsulated by lies that did not belong to her. It broke her piece by piece, a sad story of Eve. Eve, like the bible, is a representation of what the movie displayed, a loss of innocence. This movie is a pure demonstration of how shielding people, especially the ones you love, from the truth will essentially lead to their demise. I believe the director tried to convey that the truth is freeing, and many times, the wrong party gets blamed for the pain caused to others. 

In my family, I deeply relate to this. Although we did not have adultery in my family, that I know of at least. I’ve been stuck in the middle of a secret. I have seen how my mom and my cousins hide information from each other, leaving the burden to me. I’ve seen how both of them got hurt, and instead of challenging pain into love, it was challenged into hatred and resentment, leading to a broken family. The unfortunate events of my life, secrets that are untold today, still hold the power of the division of the Adeboyejos. I also related to Eve, understanding her pain of feeling isolated. I could tell she never really felt like anyone was really there for her. She didn’t really have her person, especially with her father. I felt this with my father, as constant comparisons would saturate his tongue, pinning me and my brother against one another. Not only did I build up resentment for him, but also for my brother. I felt forgotten. However, in the end, just like Eve, I loved my brother above all. My father used to call the cops on me and my brother, and through all the fights with him, I would defend my brother till the end. Although his age was higher than mine, I had that Eve spirit that told me “protect.”

The movie was a beautiful, detailed reflection of the importance of the truth, but I did not like how I felt like the father won. Yes, he died, but in a way, you can say he got the last laugh. How? Through his death, he may be able to clear his name to Mozelle, and the community still sees him as a respectable doctor, even through his transgressions, and his daughters are filled with pain that he caused that got flipped on them. He was allergic to accountability till the end, and I don't think he got the punishment he deserved. I mean, look how many people showed up with love for him in the end…

[florencef]

Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candy…

Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candy… You know how the saying goes. Fortunately, I like my life, so that statement will be left incomplete. 5 simple words hold so much weight. 

The 1992 version was quite problematic, with its being written by white people, lacking the authenticity of a Black voice. However, the newer version has brought that Black authenticity to the screen, setting a new tone for what Candyman means. The central message of the new Candyman (2021) was that we will forever be our own protection, and we are not forgotten. Candyman never killed Black people, and I feel that was wildly symbolic. 

Candyman is an echo of the horrors America tries to disguise, revealing what has truly happened to Black men over time. You see, the Candymen were Black men who were lynched or victims of police brutality, but American society didn’t win, as Candyman always returned. Although their beautiful lives never returned, their spirit forever lived on. “Say My Name” was a saying Candyman spoke often. In comparison, we see Black people protesting and chanting, “Say her/his Name” to represent that they may be dead, but their spirit will forever live on. #Neverforget America will always try to erase the Black lives lost. That’s why these protests are so significant, because they’re reclaiming power. It’s pointing a middle finger at the blue stars and red and white stripes that try to keep us beneath them. There is power in history, power in storytelling. Candyman (2021) also reminds us that we haven’t really improved like people falsely believe. Instead, we have evolved into a different evil: police brutality is the new lynching. Some people may interpret Candyman (2021) as showcasing a flawed system of injustice, but I heavily disagree with this take. In fact, I believe Candyman (2021) is screaming to us that the system has NEVER been for us, and it’s working exactly how it’s intended to. We need complete reform because when the legal system was created, has it ever benefited Black lives? Candyman (2021) has shown us that the justice system will likely always fail us, and we must call upon each other to be our own salvation. In the beginning, we fought together; we must never forget that our history binds us together. Justice only comes from the people who know suffering and know what needs to be changed, not from people who have never been in our shoes. Hence, tying back to the problematic nature of the older Candyman, speaking on Black issues from a White perspective. It's a distortion of information, and we must be OUR change.

[florencef]

US

Jealousy or Freedom? The tethers were labeled problematic for fighting for something they deserve and they were equally entitled to. Us is a mirror to American society today and the neglect of human lives. People are suffering every day while we live our perfect little lives. 

In society, why should we ask ourselves who we are in the story US has shown us? The suppressed or the suppressors, because one can’t exist without the other. A codependency that is displayed in the dancing feet of Adelaide and her tether. As a Black woman in middle-class society, I exist as both. I am buried in the shadow of my white counterparts because my skin was made to be a shadow. To succeed, society requires me to sacrifice, and even if I try as hard as I can, I may never be as successful as a rich white body. Yet in the same breath, I’m always aware I am a suppressor. I type this on my MacBook, I order clothes on online websites, and I tap on my phone all day, all items that are in my possession at the expense of starving, hurting, and overworked children. But I wonder how I can change? 

To think of this scale on a smaller level, we see these discrepancies in Black communities subjected to pain due to a red marker on paper. Or to even go deeper, slavery. How it all started. For this country to be built up, it had to literally destroy Black bodies. Just like the tethers, they did not just sit back and accept it, as there were several slave revolts and escapes. The suppressed will eventually revolt. Adelaide’s tether responded to the Wilson family and says, “We are Americans,” hence shining a light on the poor conditions the government has historically imposed on marginalized communities. This fight is even seen today as many people come to the United States, “illegally,” and get called aliens on a hypocritical land that was stolen from Native Americans. Us does a perfect job of displaying the multi-layered fakeness of America’s double standards. We scream justice for all, but in reality, there is only justice for our blue-eyed and blonde-haired counterparts. If you don’t have assets, you will be ignored and have the chains the tethered had. Forced to the underground, while watching the privileged world bask in happiness at the expense of THEIR suffering. Us has shown us their no equality and no justice, and we as a SOCIETY need to stop shining a blind eye to that. 

[florencef]

Get Out

Get Out is a deep commentary on society that the world tries to hide. It begins with an interracial couple and has so many hidden critiques of how society treats Black people. It has a connection to slavery and highlights the microaggressions that burden Black people on a day-to-day basis. It’s crazy how I related to the isolation of being a black body in a white space. I didn’t think that a movie could resonate with me so much, but there’s so much I have to speak about, reflecting on the movie.

Some people see the interracial couple this as an “inclusive aspect,” but I see it as the opposite. I see it as a deep warning to Black people. I call it the Dr.Umar warning, the “snow bunnies never,” warning! Honestly, this movie shows me how we, Black people, have to be more critical around White people, because when we trust too much, they exploit us. Can we think about it and look at our society and see how this is perfectly true! How often are Black people told we can have the job, but only if we adjust or erase parts of ourselves? One may think how changing ourselves in our jobs can compare to Get Out. However, they took Black people and only saw them for their own benefits, just like jobs and society do every day. Jobs and society love us for our culture, our brains, and our labor, just as long as it doesn’t come with the US.

The family used Black bodies to preserve their family with disregard for who they REALLY are. Think about it. Black people in society are used as a diversity card, or even beyond the workplace, look how White people TAKE Black culture. They take our braids, music, fashion, and communities and leave us to drown. Yes, they may not surgically be inserting themselves into our heads, but who said they aren’t figuratively doing it? This is reflected when white ideals are seen in our beauty standards, or when moms and dads fixate on toxic ideals, putting it in their child’s mind that they shouldn’t have locs, or braids, or even the natural puff that grows gracefully from their God given scalp. Just as the family used Black bodies to preserve itself, America used Black bodies just to keep the country afloat. Just think about how it all started. The country runs on the commodification of Black bodies.