amarismr

[amarismr]

What is Afrofuturism: Do Expectations meet Reality?

Afrofuturism, in a nutshell, is the meshing of African Diasporic culture with technology. It produces themes stemming from Science Fiction, Fantasy, and even extends to exploring Magical Realism within African traditions. Over time, Afrofuturism has continued to transform and integrate itself in music, film, media, and other forms of expression. Afrofuturism has become a unique genre because of its ability to bend reality while still connecting with situations many people can empathize with. It challenges the status quo, with imagery that could be fascinating and or disturbing, ultimately leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.

In Jordan Peele’s newest film, US, I had my first dip into the world of Afrofuturism. With a plot twist that changed the dynamics of the entire movie, US successfully created a world where the audience, for once (although unknowingly) empathize with the films (original) antagonist. The main concept of the movie featured mankind (as we know it), unknowingly possessing an entire race of doppelgangers living in secret tunnels underground. The film does not reveal how the doppelgangers or the “tethered”, arrived-but it does give a glimpse to how they coexist with all of humanity.

This film is arguably the first time in horror that we are seeing the “evil creatures” speak for themselves, almost asking for compassion or given the opportunity to seek empathy from the audience. Prevalent in Reds first intrusion into the Annabelle’s vacating family, where she explained the terrors of being tethered, the lack of independence and control, that emitted to a torturous life. In the end, Red created a dynamic plot to overthrow “humankind” with an army of her tethered brethren.

 To me, this film resonated heavily with the plot twist in The Girl with All The Gifts. The main character in the novel (turned film) chose her zombie people over humanity and creates an entire world of zombies. A plot twist that indirectly leads audiences to empathize with the source of their destruction! As Annabelle began to transition throughout the film, her tethered characteristics become revealed.  First in her acute sense that something is wrong, or haunting her. How she feels about being in the house, sensing something is wrong. Her stabbing w the scissors (that her son witnesses). How easy it was for her to find her tethered self and release her joy at killing her.

US was a phenomenal thriller for many reasons, but for me, it dramatically showed how we, as mankind, will always be the product of our environment. If given a chance at humanity, could all of the tethered prosper out of the tunnels? Are the tethered simply colonizers, desolate in their ways of life and seeking the prosperity of others; until they take it as their own.

[amarismr]

An Ode to Earthseed

Two real-life issues I am sheltering my community from are gang violence and police brutality. I am seeking shelter from oppression, and systematic barriers within the Black community. One Earthseed verse from Parable of the Sower and show how you will apply them to your community is“All that you touch, You change, All that you change, Changes you, The only lasting thing, Is change, God, Is change”. This verse will apply to my community because we will be re-shaping Blackness; as a Black community without strongholds of death, murder, and hopefully drug abuse. As of right now, Blackness has a lot of qualities that result from oppression, such as colorism, texturism, and homophobia. 

The other parable I will use is “Drowning people, Sometimes die, Fighting their rescuers” This verse will apply to the healing my community must go through to rehabilitate into society, so that we can build a Black community founded on victory, instead of oppression. To be safe, my Earthseed community will be created on Catalina Island. Although Catalina Island is a fairly expensive place to live, it is peaceful and will have a lot of land for gardening. Everyone within the African Diaspora can join my Earthseed community. This is to ensure ultimate understanding of the goals of the community, to redefine Blackness, and the authenticity of the community. White people are not allowed to join the community, because they do not have similar experiences with discrimination as those within the Diaspora. The community’s goals are to uplift the oppression of Black people.

My community leadership will be modeled after participatory democracy. Although I will serve as spearhead leader, the community will all have an equal voice in voting and deciding on our bylaws. My community will have a machine that filters out ocean water so that we can take advantage of the coast and have an unlimited water supply. This water will also be used for watering the vegetation and produce on the island. My Earthseed Community will survive by collaborating with one another to succeed. Completely rejecting the Capitalist regime, my community will each be assigned “committees” to complete the designated task to ensure we prosper as a whole. We will have a committee in charge of managing water, making sure we have enough recycled each round. We will also have a committee responsible for housing and security, production of produce (for sustainability reasons we will be strictly vegan), and organizing for political activism. We will survive because of our loyalty, ambition, and trust in one another.

[amarismr]

PUMZI

For many artists, Afrofuturism has become a tool for taking the current state of the nation, introducing an imagined crisis, and adding a futuristic twist to re-imagine realistic outcomes. Such was the case in film-maker Wanuri Kahlui’s PUMZI, a short film featuring a futuristic Dystopia,  with high tech energy source and the dire conservation of water. What intrigued me most about this film was the conservation of water, a struggle implemented in the storyline by the recycling of sweat, urine, and use of personal bottles for daily water use. In the society in PUMZI, water is treated as an extremely limited source. Apparently, the film begins years after a war over water, resulting in waters limitations. Although statistically, the amount of water on the planet never physically reduces, I enjoyed this element of the film; and found it highly realistic. Most wars are over elements that are essential to the prosperity of society, like oil.

It has always intrigued me how, nations go to war to take from one another, instead of discovering ways to limit consumption and lead toward a society where we are less dependent on their existence (specifically the use of oil as fuel). The storyline especially resonated with me when I think of Flint, Michigan's water crisis; and other impoverished communities around the nation with limited access, or toxic, water. It is only a matter of time until the Government discoveries a reason to regulate the use of water; except the reason won’t be needed for conservation as much as driven by Capitalism. In fact, I suspect that the Maitu community in PUMZI is subordinated-un by Capitalist regime. PUMZI’s storyline also resonated with me because of its realistic progression. The main character, Asha, lived in the Maitu community in PUMZI. All citizens had to conserve water, and as I watched Asha’s day progressed and found that all citizens must contribute to their society by exercising, in Asha’s case by bicycle, to generate electricity. Naturally, I approach every phy-sci, futuristic film awaiting the detrimental crisis at hand. Although generally, every film needs a dilemma, I’ll argue that Afro-futuristic films usually have an alternative agenda. The story-line within the film, first, then the storyline from the film.

What the film showed: post-war reconstruction leads to a society completely dependent on technology, to both filter water for consumption and generate power. Once Asha discovers a germinated seed, she has a profound realization that there is more to her life, the world, then is being let on. The films totalize with her complete submission into her epiphany.

What I got from it: the government equates its prosperity with control, all the way down to fundamentals-water, power, and energy. By withholding knowledge of the potential of the world, its vastness, and vitality, they are able to subordinate Maitu people and generate a community robotically contributing to its own vitality.

[amarismr]

Sorry To Bother You

Sorry to Bother You was by far one of my favorite films of 2018, and I would even say its top 5 in my all-time favorite films. With captivating cinematography and an even more intriguing plot twist, I found myself enmeshed with the world of Cassius Green, taking the position as his advocate, empathizer, and ally. Although the film implements many aspects alternate to reality, it ultimately addressed very real issues that have been cultivating in the Black community for generations (centuries, eternities, BC and AD). I will be using the blog as an opportunity to address some of the elements of the film I found both exciting, rewarding, and overall appreciated.

I will begin with the obvious (most apparent): a black man leads who were closely and vulnerably developed. I suppose this is more so a tribute to the writer, producer, director, but I think the actor of Cassius Green, Lakeith Stanfield, BODIED THAT ROLE. At the start, I related to Cash. I felt like I was with him every step of the way in this film. His acute struggle, desire to get out of it to make ends meet, get a job and ultimately a general example of the black man hustle-and the black man obstacles; networking with his friend, being apologetic on phone (feeling like a nuisance, when the art to phone banking is entitlement, invitation, and benefits) and in the end adopting code-switching to increase his number in sales. Personally, I too spent a great deal of my time working at a call center (an agonizing two and a half months). What is even harder than detaching yourself from feeling incredibly invasive, is having absolute belief in what you are offering and selling to a complete stranger. In the end, it was not until Cash did complete assimilation until he became successful, and was promoted to a higher position.

Throughout the progression of the film the parts that stuck with me most were the underlying details in Cassius’ catastrophic life. An element I really enjoyed was the picture Cash kept on his desk, of a man posing in front of a car. The film never revealed who the man was, which I enjoyed for many reasons. I think to leave the person Cash clearly wanted to remember-maybe even make proud-to the imagination allowed the audience the opportunity to reflect on who that person would be for them. As Cash excelled at work and began to dig himself out of a hole, his won pride and gusto was reflective in the photograph. The man in the picture became happier, updated his vehicle, and even began dressing differently.

I enjoyed this aspect because from my perspective it allowed Cassius’ character develop to have multiple layers, the one he had with his friends, his job, his girlfriend, and himself.

[amarismr]

Afrofuturism: A Cautionary Tale

Although Afrofuturism has many, many different functions, the ability to create a futuristic narrative provides the opportunity for a cautionary tale. In Tananarive Due’s “Like Daughter”, Due construct a suspenseful short story that raises many, many questions.

For most parents, their children are the epitome of their second chance at life. They make sacrifices for them, instruct and support them, and in return are proud of nearly everything their child does. People have many reasons for wanting to have children (or having children), but what happens if given a choice over how your child would turn out? If parents could go back in time, would they alter anything about their child; there cognitive ability, personality; work ethic, obedience, ambition?

In the case of Denise, her daughter was an opportunity to have a second chance at life. Denise’s childhood was stripped from her when she was young, after extensive abuse by a relative in charge of babysitting her. As a result, she contracted a disease. Her parents compartmentalized her abuse and avoided asking her any questions about how she contracted it, questions she didn’t answer and the Doctor did his best to invoke from her. Ultimately, this relationship affected the development of Denise overtime, her childhood, her personality, and her relationships were strained and controlled. In desperation to remake her life, she invests in having an exact clone of herself created; in a very expensive experiment called the “copycat baby programs”.

The methodology and effects of this program are not prevalent in the storyline, yet Paige’s reaction to the procedure reflects negatively. In Paige’s opinion, Denise was using this program to remake her own life. However, it is clear that Paige thinks this is the worst possible solution to years of disarray Denise faced in her life.

Without confronting her own internal turmoil, Denise’s cloned daughter will, in the end, not be enough to mend Denise’s childhood. In fact, she does the exact opposite. She reminds Denise of her childhood, raising an exact reflection of her childhood photos. Denise’s personally sends her new husband running off, and as she comes to terms with being with her clone alone, she is revolted by its existence.

In the end, Denise’s ideal child became the source of her disarray. Which again, makes me reconsider why parents have children. In the case where Denise had absolute control over her daughter’s makeup, she still found herself dissatisfied, even disgusted. Even though the case of Denise was unique, and she was dealing with a surplus of other things, I believe she did the exact opposite of what she should have done. Children are extensions of their parents, and I believe their random genetic code is what makes their parents adore them. They are influenced by their parents, their surroundings, but a lot of their innate qualities are by chance. Those qualities are what make parents proud.

[amarismr]

Wakanda Forever!

It is only right that I end my blog series on Afrofuturism with a recap, analysis, appreciation of Black Panther. When I first heard the name Black Panther, I presumed it would be a movie honoring the legendary Black Panther Party and was reasonably perplexed when I overheard my 8-year-old cousin saying he was excited to see it. When I saw the trailer of the movie myself, I ultimately felt like the storyline was too good to be true. An all-black cast (save a white antagonist and another white ally?) all in conjunction to create one of the most groundbreaking films of its era. 

I admit I had never heard of Black Panther prior to seeing the advertisements for the film. I have never been much of a Marvel fan, and my older brothers-both seven years or more my senior-were thrilled that one of their favorite comics was coming to life. At the time, I had no inclination what Afrofuturism was, and definitely, no impression on the impact the film would have on me. Black Panther was the first film where I saw Black bodies in positions of royalty; of power. Black Panther re-imagined the state of Africa. It embodied the potential of Africa if not for colonizers.

 In my opinion (mostly because I myself have no personal ties to the storyline, historically or otherwise) Black Panther is broadly a movie about the potential state of a nation. For example, Wakanda was never colonized. Because of its advancement in technology, the country was able to literally camouflage themselves into mountains. This allowed for three major things-no interference from the colonist, no interference from outside nations, and absolute dependency within the community. The obvious advantage of lack of colonizer interference is Wakanda never fell under oppression. Absence from interference of outside nations is significant for two major reasons. One, outside nations, could not declare war on Wakanda and weed them of resources. And two, Wakanda had no outside source for resources, trade of product, or exchange of information. Which leads me to my last point, the strength of Wakanda community. Existing in secret, Wakanda did have the luxury of borrowing ideas and inventions from around the World. However, as a completely secret society, in order to stay off the grid, Wakanda had to have a fully functioning system. In conjunction, all of these elements can be applied to other countries in Africa.

 Black Panther did a lot more than bring a comic book to life. It did a lot more than give my 8-year-old cousin a Black superhero (other then Frozone) to dress up as for Halloween. I lobbied with the masses to see the film (which I did obsessively four times), watching how prideful the Black audience was, wearing either all black or cultural African wardrobe. People of every color were in attendance for this film. It means something to each and every one of us. I can count, on a single hand, the number of films that have incorporated all of the aspects of Black Panther that I cherish.  

[amarismr]

Black Horror: some Lasting Thoughts on Representation of Sex

By now, I would like the think that the nation is aware that Black tropes are played out, expected and unsatisfactory. Common tropes in Black horror include being the first to die, the magical negro (Jeepers Creepers-this issue is that the characters are not round enough and they don’t have their own aspirations and dreams), spiritual guide, or my least favorite-Sacrificial negro which comes from the notion that minority groups will do anything for approval to gain acceptance because it is romantic in a psychological sense. In the case of Black men and Black women in film, I think it is fair to contrast some of the most famous Black people in the horror films, Candyman and Abby.

Candyman was a success in the 90s, with actor Tony Todd not only handsome and effortless but powerful in his performance. However, despite Candyman’s success within the Black community, the storyline contains a few controversies. For starters, Candyman is a mass serial killer in an impoverished community. A white woman in the film, spurred by her innate savior complex, travels to his city to investigate the killings. Candyman does not really have a reason to murder the way he does; children fall victim to his rath and others succumb to him as an alliance, synonymous to a gang, although he has no explained use for them. Finally, the white savior comes face to face with Candyman. Yet instead of slaughtering her, he not only spares her life but becomes unexplainably fixated on her!

Overall, there are many controversies with how Candyman can be perceived. I have narrowed down my rationale of the storyline to two scenarios. 

1. There is the scenario that he was fascinated with the white women and cared for her protection above the Black people murdered-which raises the question of what did he see in her that he missed in the many Black bodies he killed? 

2. There is also the scenario that, by sparing the white women, he was giving her the option to take on his curse for herself by succumbing to him; which, indirectly, she would.

The film Abby also was a great success in the time of its release. In contrast to Candyman, Abby did not begin the film possessed. She was beautiful and young, married, in church, and overall seemed well-rounded. Interestingly enough, Abby’s possession occurred in a position that suggested she deserved it. She became very promiscuous, performing acts of infidelity and rejecting her husband. Honestly, I think Abby was supposed to be a symbol of Black female empowerment-yet done so extremely it instead exploited Black women, often described as Blaxploitation. In the end, I think the film reflected Abby as someone who deserved their possession. This does not do much for empowerment, but I guess it’s the thought that counts? 

Anyway, Candyman and Abby each presented their own controversies and confusing scenarios, yet at the end of the day, the success they made was enough to appreciate the boundaries they broke in Black Horror.

[amarismr]

Black Redemption:  what I didn’t like about “The First Purge”

When The First Purge came out I did not know it was an American production. I was in London at the time of its premiere and on the train, I noticed a banner of Y’Ian Noel, an easily recognizable actor from Issa Rae’s Insecure, strapped with a machine gun. Intrigued, I googled his recent films and found “The First Purge”. As a movie lover and rookie movie critic, I found myself dipping into reviews, trying to get any sneak peeks on what the film would entail. Overall, my initial response was that of surprise and glee. I thought to myself, ‘was the Purge finally making up for its absolute lack of diversity in such an extreme way: per an all Black cast of the protagonist?’. I watched the trailer and was convinced I had to see the film in theaters, but it was completely sold out in London. I believe It had been released for a few days when I finally searched for tickets, but within a reasonable traveling distance, not a single theater had a spare seat. That being said,  I realized that Blackness is not just a hot comradery here (in the United States). Black life is something inviting and exciting even a good 12 hours from home. I found myself even more critical because, I realized, how Black people would be represented in this film could possibly serve as a worldwide handbook of how we were doing here in the US.

The storyline takes place on an “Island”, in a city called Staten Island; a highly impoverished, marginalized community. Through bribery and deceit, members from the community commit to being a nationwide experiment to test the success of purging. In other Purge films, the typical rational behind the annual purging is a nationwide indulgence of crime without a repercussion-including murder-in order to lower the crime rate throughout the year. So of course, throughout the film, I am waiting to find the overarching reason why the purge has to begin here; surrounded by Black bodies that aren’t showcased in other series. 

The concept of the film itself was creative. White officials running The First Purge thought the population of choice perfect, expecting the Black civilians to leap at the opportunity to slaughter one another. However, the concept brings into question what the bribery was actually used for? In my opinion, most of the murders throughout the film were pre-contemplative vendettas; gang members seeking to overthrow the head, inner circle plots, and manipulations. I would argue that the bribe only served as a catalyst for Skeletor, an overdone druggie figure with little sense of direction, motive, and who operated purely from impulsivity throughout the film. Skeletor was a character that simply gave the film surprise scares, all while making me cringe. Overall I think he did little for the film's narrative. After all, since his introduction as a sex-crazed, violent junkie, he would simply scare one of the main characters, randomly kill a few of the cast extras, until he is destroyed. He is the literal embodiment of the lowest expectations of Black men-and I wish they would’ve done without him. 

Skeletor was, without a doubt, my least favorite part of the film.

[amarismr]

Inquiring: the Role of Black Women in Horror?

In general, women rarely have an admirable position in horror films. In the case that they aren’t utilized as a defenseless subject making thoughtless decisions, indirectly putting themselves in danger, then they usually are drifting behind the scenes-supporting male leads and heroes. Black women especially have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to Horror. Like most narratives, Black women are either forgotten, unappreciated, or not given the opportunity to vocalize their own point of view.

Tales From the Hood highlighted a lot of Black trauma as far as police brutality, overt racism, and gang affiliation. One of the tales that I found most intriguing concerned domestic violence. In my opinion, this was the first tale where a Black woman had a quintessential role, although she isn’t introduced into much later in the tale. I analyzed this storyline as an example of Black women as the victim in Horror.

In the tale “Boys Do Get Bruised” the storyline follows a young boy, Walter, whose teacher, Richard, notices bruises appearing on his body each day. Richard questions the bruises, but initially, Walter makes excuses for them. After weeks pass, Richard finally confronts Walter, encouraging him to share who is hurting him. In the tale, Walter said his abuser was a monster. Frustrated with Walter’s response, Richard finally decided to exceed his role as an Elementary School teacher and go to Walter’s Home.

Walter’s mother, Sissy, greets Richard at the door. At a glance, she is beautiful, young, and surprised by his arrival. At first, her initial role in Walter’s abuse is unknown. I was anticipating her response to give some indication of who was hurting Walter, but in the beginning, she seemed overall critical of Walter’s behavior. After Richard’s introduction, she invited him into her kitchen to speak with him about his visit. He expressed his concerns about Walter, and in response, Sissy snapped, disciplining Walter before Richard has much time to explain. At this point in the tale, I am considering Walter’s mother as the abuser. Although, as one of the few Black women featured in Tales From the Hood, I hoped against it. From my perspective, the film itself served to address the biggest issues facing the Black community, and associating Black motherhood with aggression did not seem conducive to that narrative.

After Richard assures Sissy that Walter is not in any trouble, her focus seems to shift. She becomes promiscuous, flirting with Richard. During the first take of the film, so far Sissy seems to be critical, promiscuous, and overall my confusion and suspicions of her character increase. Then the monster is finally revealed. Suddenly, Sissy’s boyfriend comes homes, and Sissy becomes anxious to get Richard out of the house. Once Richard finally leaves, it is revealed that not only is Sissy’s boyfriend abusive to her, but also hurts Walter.

In the end, he is destroyed by a magical relationship between a piece of paper Walter drew of him that acts as somewhat of a “voodoo doll”. 

Even after his destruction, there are many questions to be answered, but I focus on the main three that bother me the most. 

1. Why didn’t Black women have more representation in the tales? 

2. What was the significance of Sissy’s actions?

3. When will the complexity of the horrors Black women face have representation in film?

[amarismr]

“You can save people, Melanie. You can save everybody.”

At a glance, The Girl With All the Gifts caught my curiosity once I noticed the book’s long-haired, blond protagonist was replaced on screen with young Black actress Sennia Nenua. My brother brought the film to my attention, for he is a noble Black Horror enthusiast himself-with his foundation set in Black vampirism- Blade, Queen of the Damned, and influenced by my papa’s beloved VCR copy of Blacula. My own enjoyment around horror became increasingly skeptical whenever a Black character was present, expecting their destruction, betrayal, or sacrifice. However, after surveying the brief trailer, and a sneak peek at critique reviews, my curiosity was fully peaked. Before the film even began I found myself rooting for Sennia, playing Melanie, without the need of her role. In fact, I instinctively viewed the film deciphering what, if anything, Melanie’s Blackness did for the story.

Visually, the opening scene made me uneasy. It begins with Melanie, who is counting. Once she reaches one she gets up from her bed and into a wheelchair, waiting. Sargent like men enter her quarters, finishing up her confinement by securing her wrist, strapping her ankles, waist, head with thick bands. Charmingly, Melanie greats them, seemingly unbothered by her custody. She knows them all by name and addresses them with their appropriate titles. Already, my criticism is piqued. I begin asking myself several whys- why is Melanie strapped up? Why is Melanie so polite to her captors? Why does Melanie seem utterly okay with her incarceration?

As she is wheeled out of her flat other children appear, in similar confinement as Melanie’s-but most importantly, I can’t help but notice that Melanie is the only Black child in the film.

As the storyline progresses it reveals that Melanie and the other children are an infected breed of zombies, called the Hangries. If triggered, the children become animalistic, monstrosities craving human flesh. Captive, the children are fed bugs, rolled into a classroom to be taught by the films teacher Miss. Justineau, and it is revealed that one by one they are picked off, taken away to be dissected in search for a cure. Unbeknown to Melanie, the displacement of each child depends on the number of her choosing, during her morning conversation humoring scientist, pathologist Dr. Caroline.

In fact, Dr. Caroline is not the only character that humors Melanie, treating her with a type of humanity that seems a reward for the infected children. Melanie’s teacher, Miss. Justineau, has several instances expressing her affection for the charming Melanie. In a particular scene in the film, she dares lay a hand on Melania's head-a horrific demonstration of companionship that the guarding Sargents scold her excessively for.

I can not help but wonder if Melanie’s Blackness aided in creating this distance between them, the Hangries, and us, the captors. Undoubtedly, the film serves to separate Melanie entirely from the other children, showing a constraint within Melanie that the other children do not possess once triggered. In fact, evidence of her difference is not just shown by her affection for her teacher, Helen, but also in her unique reverence for human life, respectability, and curiosity. In fact, Melanie is the only child that notices when another of her cohort is missing, connecting the dots to find that she had chosen that missing child’s same room number the day before.

The following day, Melanie humors Dr. Caroline---by giving her own room number.    

And that quickly, like watching a glass under a faucet suddenly overflow, I found how appropriate Melanie’s race was for the film. As if being a Hangrie has not already fulfilled the magical Negro narrative, Melanie also had to sacrific herself? Was the gift that she would be the second to die? As the film takes an apocalyptic turn, Melanie becomes somewhat of a caretaker; utilizing her Hangries DNA to get resources for the humans, surveying the path for the humans, fending off a lot of Hangries children haunting the humans. Still, I was intrigued by why replacing a young white girls with a young Black girl already did wonders for the stories narrative. How powerful it was seeing a child, shackled and in prison orange, when so many Black bodies will live majority of their life in mass incarceration. How jarring Melanie’s intelligence was in the film, memorizing the periodic table, displaying an acute sweetness to reinstate her humanity, and daring to love herself, her kind. And in the end, Melanie made a decision that I could not critique, for it was something I craved. She chose herself, her life, before the rest of civilization, releasing a plant that infected all of mankind-the first instance of Horror a Black character was allowed a stroke of selfishness and victory. It was one of the few instances in horror were an ending made me feel sad for mankind, yet I could not judge who deserved to live more. In the end, I was proud Melanie chose herself. 

[amarismr]

The Birth of Horror

I believe it is fair to say that Horror began as a cautionary tale in the United States. Before there was such a thing as ‘horror’, there were films conducive of historical fiction that reflected warnings, induced fear in their audiences, and overall told a powerful narrative. With the appropriate amount of media, reinforcement from political leaders, and building on systematic oppression- horror could be the most detrimental genre in the United States. Take “Birth of a Nation”, one of the earliest representations of horror. In short, the film fabricated a story of a man, done in blackface, with an uncontrollable desire and longing for white women. The film is meant to illicit horror as, black faced “Gus”, stalks the white woman, “Flora”, into the woods. In fear of being raped, Flora commits suicide by jumping from a cliff. By the end of the film, the town has rallied the Ku Klux Klan in a victorious feat; to hunt Gus and hang him.

There are many reasons why the narrative of this film is detrimental to Black life, especially since it's subjugation into the Horror Genre. The narrative itself serves to be horrifying for audiences both white and Black. At a glance, the film reinforced the savagery of Black lust, inability to be civil, and unquenched thirst for white women. For white audiences, the film was only horrifying in the case that they believed Black people were this way; which at the time was the case. The film was even endorsed by the White House, screened there in 1915, and President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that “it was like writing history with lightning”. If that was not enough proof of the nations nescience, the film also invited the reignition of the Ku Klux Klan. In fact, in History there are three distinct emerges of the KKK (iridescent by death rates, visibility) and the “Birth of a Nation” resulted in their second return.

For Black people, “Birth of a Nation” was equally, if not more so, terrifying than it was for white people. It validated racism, confirmed stereotypes, and widened barriers Black people already had in assimilating into the United States. Black people simply went from being controlled, dehumanized property to released, feared monstrosities. As appalling as the film is today, in 2019, it is impossible to imagine the damage this film did upon its release.

In a sense, the “Birth of a Nation” offered a narrative per their own agenda; which makes it fabricated, fiction, but also reminiscent to many films developed after it (of other genres). In the analysis of horror, it is important to remember that “Birth of a Nation” is where it started-and if not careful its roots will reflect in horror tropes today. 

[amarismr]

What is Black Horror?

What makes horror enticing, exciting, and reinventing is the threat of human life. Despite the frustrating schemes common in most horror films-refusal to move out of a haunted house, finding refuge locked away upstairs when a murderer is chasing you, and other detrimental decisions-a viewer's anticipation is the byproduct of their curiosity and hope for the protagonist’s survival.

However, part of my own captivation with horror lies in the unlikely situation that I, a Black woman, would be in such a ludicrous circumstance. At least not in the Horror films of my generation, starring blond ponytails sprinting up the stairs-falling several times before finding a small attic or bathroom to barricade themselves in- holding my own breath as I await their imminent doom. For myself, Horror is shown by simply turning to the News, hearing the details of police brutality, Black children being abducted, mass killings and incarceration; and there's no glimmer of hope to make those transgressions anymore digestible.                                                                    

On the rare occasion that I did see myself in Horror films, for the first time in Disney’s Twitches, I found no affiliation with the storyline; yet another casting of Black female sorcery. Still, as a child, my fascination with horror was enough to get my attention, and I was already big fans of Tia and Tamera from Sister Sister. 

When they integrated Disney, the storyline did not mean much to me. I was more excited to see them staring in a Disney film (something that only one young Black actress, Ravyn Simone, was doing at the time; and even she had the supernatural gift of telepathy). Twitches taught me that either Disney thought Black women too strong, smart, witty to be in a typical horror trope, or too exotic to have a classical horror tale. At six years old I watched the black cloudy “villain” float around, disappointed that the scariest antithesis of fear for Black women looked like a shadow. (Although, after my first viewing I did become afraid of the dark for a few weeks). 

Today, as my journey into Black Horror takes form with it I find myself on somewhat of a journey through history. Although my introduction to Black Horror began with Twitches, it certainly was not satisfied. The true journey of Black Horror throughout history traces the narrative in films that either validate Black humanity or exploit Black Life for the sake of the white cast. I favored horror movies that were well done with a few twists and turns, but horror films that featured Black Life as a lead were few and far between. Even my favorite Black Horror film, “I Am Legend”, leaves me dissatisfied with the death of Will Smith, fulfilling the trope as the films sacrificial Negro. 

Starring as Dr.Robert Neville, Will lives in a quarantined city in complete isolation-save his dog and festering zombies. After his family dies before his very eyes, he does what he can to survive, eventually taking on a few more people to protect them. By the end of the film it is revealed that he is the anecdote reverse zombies, and suddenly it becomes transparent that his death was the answer all along! I Am Legend literally is a film about a black man concluding that his death would make the world a better place (synonymous to his position in Seven Pounds).

Most Black films that were about action, gang violence, paraphernalia, or simply starred Black people left me feeling anxious. The ending never satisfied me, and I began to think that Black bodies dying in a film were inevitable. It was not until Jordan Peele’s film Get Out that Black people saw Black people going home at the end of a horror film. Leaving the theater -after my first, second, and third time viewing it- I felt a sense of relief that at least he (Chris) made it. However, the true victory of Get Out is far too overlooked, because Chris did not simply survive a house of lunatics- he single-handedly dismantled an entire system!

As Black Horror takes form, this becomes an essential part of the Black narrative. Even in Twitches, the powerful twin witches did not simply escape the darkness haunting them-they destroyed the entire entity and liberated an entire alternate universe! Although it is true that integrating Black life into horror is entertainment, Black people have begun to use horror for reparations. As of now, I believe Black Horror has become a platform to tell a narrative; reflecting the power, the initiative, and the intuition of Black Bodies.