We can't forget! I defiantly wont!
Just recently, I've watched the new Madea movie "Joe's College Road Trip" (if you haven't watched it its on Netflix, just make sure you read the description before doing so)
- Birmingham Sit-ins: This was a protest to bring attention to integration. Most famously led by Martin Luther King Jr, these protests were non-violent. African American people would go into places that had segregation enforced, like, for example, a diner. And all they would do is sit, and the white people would be enraged, yelling, cursing, saying slurs, throwing things, pouring things on people, you name it, they did it.
- Tulsa Race Massacre: It all began on Memorial Day; this attack is considered the worst incident of racial violence in American History. The attacker burned and destroyed more than 35 square blocks of the neighborhood, and at this time, this was the wealthiest black community in the United States, "Black Wall Street." 800+ peoplewere admitted into the hospitals, 232 were seriously injured, and up to 300 deaths. They were attacked by white supremacists with guns, explosives, and fires.
and mind you, their is so much more!
I bring this movie up because, although it isn't Tyler Perry's best work, it was still very interesting and educational to watch. I'll give a little background of the movie: So Brian (played by Tyler) is Madea's (also played by Tyler) nephew, and Joe (played by Tyler as well) is Brian's father. Brian has children, but the only one that matters is B.J he in other movies as a "nerd", well educated (in some subjects), very sheltered, and almost oblivious as well. Brian doesnt let B.J get any type of outside experience to help him succeed in life other than if its educational purposes because Brian swore that he would raise his child like Joe raised him (beating, throwing him into water to teach Brian to swim other not normal things parents do) so he kind of stunted his growth in all aspects and mind you this boy is going off to college.
okay so they main reason I brought this movie up is beause the reason why B.J went on a college road trip with Joe is because B.J had friends over (who were white dudes) and they were looking at future colleges and Brian asked what they were doing and B.J said that he didnt want to go to a "HBCU" (Historically Black College/ University) he proceeds to say he doesnt understand why black people (talking about himself as well) need their own colleges and then his friends chime in and say how that can be seen as rascist because white people dont have their own colleges. Brian tries to explain, yes yall did because we were segregated for a period of time. And B.J still wanted to go to a college with his white friends, and a couple of other things that jump-started this road trip are B.J being the smartest one in this private highschool but yet white guys didn't accomplish as much as him and still got the same award. I'm coming to my point, I promise! So everyone knows in the family (meaning Madea, Joe, and Brian) know B.J isnt cultured, so when Joe takes him on the road trip, they stop at places that meant a whole lot to Black History.
Why am I writing about this? Even though the movie was for comedic relief, it shone a light on things happening today and what has always been. People forget history because they believe it doesn't matter to them now, which is half correct, but things always seem to repeat themselves. And yes their is an argument that "why do we need HBCU's isnt that causing more divide?" No, it isn't. I fear that if regular school is not focused on black history, it would actually teach black history or any history that is "white" and not the watered-down version, so everyone else can process it better, maybe we wouldn't have to be so divided. Some other things to think about, it's sometimes controversial for usually white people to attend an HBCU, but some do it for a better understanding of black and other non-white cultures. If the history lessons are so good at a PWI (predominantly white institution), then why do we have people flocking from that to an HBCU? Idk, maybe I'm biased, it's questions we need to think about ( and by no mean's is white people the only people who think like this, even people of color have their moments)
During spring break I visited a museum in Chicago that had an exhibit dedicated to Emmett Till. The facts that were shown made tears well up in my eyes. The killers smug looks and laughing in the courtroom while looking at the Till family. Photos of Emmett at home with friends and family and in his coffin. Artists sketches of those in the courtroom. No matter how overwhelming the facts were the killers got off scott free. I can't even begin to imagine the hurt and anger his family, friends, and supporters felt after the verdict was read knowing full well that the killers confessed. Never forget.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of the quality of black history taught at HBCU's in comparison to PWI's, I'd even take it a step further and even argue there's still a "whitewashing" happening with how these predominately white institutions teach black history (both at the university level, elementary, middle, and high school level). A lot of these white institutions focus on teaching an altered version of black history and their own perspectives on what they think should be taught and what platforms should be uplifted.
ReplyDeleteYour post brings up an important point about why history still matters today. Movies can help people learn about serious topics more easily. I also agree that learning the history behind HBCUs helps explain why they are still important today.
ReplyDeleteTyler Perry is such a topic in itself while he isn't the blame for majority he really is a very contradicting person. I appreciate the thoughts on Joe's College Road Trip and it's great that is sparked these deeper looks into historical events. However, I have a hard time getting past the way Tyler Perry approached these these topics. While Tyler is known for his comedy his work does relies on damaging stereotypes that actually tea down the black community rather than uplift it. By constantly portraying Black life through the lens of buffoonery, trauma, or through characters like Madea and Joe initially one could say he adds and reinforces these biases that PWI institutions hold.
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