sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog - Tumblr blog

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #6

Final Thoughts

My undergraduate college career is coming to an end next week on June 14th, 2019. In fact, it is my last few days as a college student ever. I will not be returning back as a graduate student so everything is now dwindling down to the very end. This quarter was my last quarter as a student at UCLA and I chose to take some very interesting classes. I am taking Sociology of Entrepreneurship, World Arts and Cultures of Goddesses, and African American Studies, the studies of Afrofuturism with Professor Due. I can easily say that Afrofuturism has been my favorite, most interesting class I have taken this quarter. Being the second class I have taken with Professor Due, I did not expect anything less than before. Professor Due did an outstanding job with lectures. She was extremely engaging and presented so much passion in her words and thoughts. If there is one thing that I learned from Due this past quarter is to never forget your true identity and that it is okay to always be yourself. She presented that lesson every day even if she did not mean to.

Another positive thing that I can take away from this class is that I am a good ass creative writer. I chose to write a creative short story for my second time (I also wrote a short story for her Sunken Place/Horror class) and I absolutely loved it. When I sent out my short story to peers to get their opinions, they replied back with positive feedback and I did not expect that. They told me how they felt anxious and were so interested to read what would happen next throughout the whole plot. Hearing that made me feel so happy. I am glad to have experienced creative writing and will definitely keep that journey going.

Finally, hearing about and watching all of the other creative work done by my peers made me proud. Although I did not know most of them, I loved hearing all of their ideas and seeing how creative students can be outside of the normal classroom setting. All of the short films blew me away! That amount of talent that was in our classroom was breathtaking.

Overall, I am saddened that my college days will be coming to an end very soon. However, I am happy to have ended it on such a high note, especially with the classes I have chosen to take. Thank you for everything Professor Due. UCLA, I will miss you.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #5

Is District 9 Afrofuturism?

During today’s discussion in my Afrofuturism class, we discussed the movie District 9. The question that was asked by our professor was if the film can be considered as an Afrofuturism film? We, unfortunately, did not go into full discussion during class, but I wanted to use this opportunity to express my opinion about this.

To me, it was NOT a piece of Afrofuturism literature. Yes, there were some futuristic elements, some African American characters, and it was taking place in South Africa, but that does not mean it is Afrofuturism. I mean, the whole movie is about an alien mothership appearing over a city in South Africa and the malnourished alien population inside starts populating in a community on Earth called District 9. Then, a constant conflict arises between the aliens and humans who already live there, who are Nigerians. and the government is trying to find solutions to solve the issue. The government hires MNU, an extremely powerful and strong weaponry organization to relocate the aliens. The conflict, in my opinion, does not have to do with African Americans, besides the Nigerians living with the aliens and their belittling. The citizens are portrayed like animals and were being treated like animals. The plot is mainly about the aliens and how to get rid of them. I guess you can say that sort of relates to what some African Americans are going through right now, but it is not correct for them to relate with aliens; it makes the matter worse in fact and makes them feel more like others. Afrofuturism, from what I understand, showcases the beautiful and powerful lives of African Americans with futuristic technological advancements. It showcases the horrors of what the future might convey, yet shedding light on the powers and strength of African Americans.

There are multiple things District 9 could have done to make this Afrofuturistic. First, they could have made the main character black and showcased his struggles throughout this conflict. Instead, they used a white man. Not even that, they could have incorporated ANY black characters into the storyline. Next, they could have incorporated more futuristic elements. The only futuristic elements that were conveyed were the aliens and their technology. However; their technology was not anything great, it was just their ship that was showcased. The world itself did not advance in their technology. Finally, better themes could have been portrayed. They did showcase the themes of xenophobia and racism, but those were targeted towards the aliens, not really any black characters. Overall, the movie could have done more to be considered Afrofuturism. I do like the storyline, but it definitely could have been done better.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #4

Dwayne Thomas / Intro To: Where We Were And Are

Dwayne takes a sad sigh after staring at his calendar for 10 minutes. “Only got one more month left to live… Momma, Dad, big bro, I’ll be seeing you guys soon”

The Thomas’s lived n La Jolla, San Diego where Dwayne’s father, Tyrone, worked as a pediatric doctor. He worked long hours to support his wife, Elicia, and their two children, Dwayne and James. James was three years older than Dwayne, yet the two were attached by the hip growing up. You’d never see siblings closer than the Thomas boys.

In the 2010 decade, Earth was already phasing the dangers of climate change. Hurricane Harvey was the biggest hurricane ever recorded, destroying hundreds of homes and killing many. Even Hurricane Irma in 2017 had no mercy. Then Hurricane Florence in 2018 hit. Following was Hurricane Micheal in 2018. And the horror of climate change did not just hit the west. So many homes in Kerela, India were destroyed because of floods in 2018. East Africa faced a deadly drought in 2011, killing many people and leaving the rest to suffer through the scorching heat. And who can forget the California Wildfires in 2018? They were the most destructive and deadliest ever recorded. You would think it would not get any worse, but it has. To top it all off, in 2018 James’ life was taken by a bullet when he was praying at Church on Easter. He was only 18 years old. That day will never be erased from Dwayne’s memory.

Thankfully for Tyrone’s work, the Thomas family was well off. Since Tyrone was in the medical field, he was one of the first to be aware of new medical advancements. In 2024, a new treatment was developed by one of Tyrone’s colleagues that treated dehydration. The technologically advanced “Hydration Treatment” allows the body to conserve water for over a 3 month period without needing to drink any additional water. However, individuals must go through the treatment every 5 years and it is not easy for many to afford. Luckily for the Thomas’s, they were able to keep up with the treatments for a long time. Unfortunately, in 2034 Tyrone Thomas passed away due to old age and left Elicia to fend for herself. Dwayne vowed to take care of her mother until the very end, however; he did not have the same wealthy career as his father. He could not afford the treatments every 5 years for both himself and his mother, and unfortunately, they received their last treatment 5 years ago.

Now it is 2048 and the city of La Jolla was out of water for a record of 3 months, which meant that Dwayne and Elicia had to rely on the hydration treatment that they received back in 2043 to keep them alive. One day, Dwayne came home and found his mother passed out on the floor. She had passed away due to dehydration. Dwayne is now alone and must find water in order to survive.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #3

The Dangered World

A common theme that has been seen throughout many Afrofuturism works we have been studying thus far is climate change, the danger of climate change, and what the world is like because of global warming. Climate change has brought horrendous drought, abnormal heat, and chaos to the worlds in our literature. Many of the literature we have been focusing which include this theme are Pumzi, Parable of the Sower, and White. In the short film Pumzi, water is scarce and individuals must conserve every bit of what they have in order to survive. In Parable of the Sower, the outrageous fires have diluted almost all of the water in the world and water sources have become extremely expensive. Finally, in the film White, the community is celebrating Christmas, which is usually celebrated in the winter during December, but here we see the world is extremely hot, with the sun blazing on our sweaty characters.

The reason why this theme got my attention the most is that climate change and global warming are going on right now! Today is May 7th, 2019 and it is supposed to be a warm Spring day, however; it is extremely cloudy and it even rained yesterday. A few months ago, California faced it’s deadliest, most destructive wildfire season ever. Some of these fires include the Woolsey Fire and Camp Fire, which wiped out a whole community, burned down almost all of Malibu to ashes, burned down most of Ventura County, and killed about 90 people. The terror we read about with Octavia Butler in the Parable of the Sower has become our reality and it is truly horrifying.

Many communities today do not have access to clean water, let alone any water in general. The Flint Water Crisis is an example of this. Flint, Michigan has been dealing with their dirty water crisis since 2014 and a solution still has not been found. Although I believe there are other factors, such as racial, that are affecting this dilemma, people are already diminished of drinkable water.

Overall, climate change and global warming are real and must immediately be dealt with. Our actions are not only affecting us, but are affecting ecosystems around the world. Animals are constantly entering the endangered species list or even worse, extinct list and it is terrible. Every day we are worsening the environment, however; every day, people are taking action to help. Even one small change of turning off all electricity or unplugging when you are not home can incredibly help the environment. If this problem does not get fixed soon, our world will become Parable of the Sower, Pumzi, or White.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #2

Earthseed: The Books of the Living

Explain TWO (2) real-life issues that make it necessary to create your Earthseed community. What are you seeking shelter from?

2 real-life issues that make it necessary for me to create my own Earthseed community are inequality and sexual harassment. Both of these issues are things that almost every woman in America will deal with. And most of the time, these issues are initiated by the opposite sex. Dealing with inequality in the workforce is something that woman have dealt with throughout all of history and are STILL dealing with today. Equality must be obtained in all aspects of life and not only for women but for all. Sadly, sexual harassment is seen every day, more predominately on college campuses and needs to be stopped. Woman, especially young woman, need to be protected, not taken advantage of, because without them, there would be no world.

Quote two (2) Earthseed verses from Parable of the Sower and show how you will apply them to your community. You may be creative in your interpretation.

“In order to rise from its own ashes, A Phoenix First, Must Burn.” This first verse represents the strength of every citizen of my Earthseed will have in order to move forward. It tells a story of a person who has been dealing with multiple negative things daily and feels like the world is falling on them, yet, they still have the courage and strength to get up every morning and face their demons. This will be the core value of my community. No matter how bad life is at the moment, you shall still rise and move forward. You are a strong Phoenix.

“There is no end to what a living world will demand of you”  This verse resembles self-determination. I believe that every citizen in my community must control their own lives and be motivated to be whomever they want to be. They cannot be lazy and wait around for life to take its course. No, they must be in control and so whatever they can to be their best. I would require that all community members work. They may choose their field of work and must work at least 20 hours a week. They are also allowed to switch their positions whenever they like to find their path. The world demands you to work.

Explain WHERE you will create your Earthseed community to be safe.

I would create my Earthseed community in Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park. Both have massive rivers of fresh water, as well as wood from trees that can be used to build homes and a wall for protection. Clay can be created with the fresh mud around for a stronger foundation. There are fresh and organic berries all around and animals to eat.

Who can join your community and why? Who can’t join? Why not?

Anyone that wants to be a part of a hard working, equal, community may join. Men and women will share roles and all will be treated equally. Members must be motivated to work and be their best self. They must know that things will not be handed to them. People who are lazy cannot join because they will just milk resources from the community while not contributing anything.

What will your leadership model be for your community?

Depending on the size of my community, I will try my best to make it a democracy, where every person has a voice. There will be one leader (me) as well as a few co-leaders, however; they will be more like “collectors of votes” rather than deciding the decisions themselves. What I mean by that is that the “leaders” will be more like the higher voices of the community, replaying what the community is asking of the whole. If someone has any question or concern, they are allowed to have 24/7 communication with the leaders. That way, all issues will be heard. There will also be one leader for each department of my community (i.e. security, construction, etc.). The same rules will apply.

Create a FUTURE TECHNOLOGY (one on the horizon, not something like teleportation or time travel) to help improve life at your Earthseed community.

A future technology that will help improve life at my Earthseed community is farming robots. These robots will take care of all of the farming at my community and keep an eye out on the produce 24/7. They will water and pick each produce at the exact times needed. They also will never get tired since they are robots. The robots will also be running on solar power, with solar panels already built on their backs and on top of their heads. Because of this, they will always be charging since they will be working mostly during the day to take care of the farms. That way, our people will not have to injure their bodies aiding the produce and can focus just on living.

Explain/show how your Earthseed community will SURVIVE.

Using natural supplies from mother nature around us (i.e. water from the rivers around us, wood from trees, food from animals and fruit trees/bushes). Having 24/7 security with members switching shifts. Leadership/community will be a democracy. Members will have unique roles and become experts. All members MUST participate in the advancement and upkeeping of the community

Explain/show what TWO steps your Earthseed community will make to build a better future, i.e. education, housing, conservation, farming, etc.

(1) Our farming technology will be our #1 step in building a better future, not only for our community but for the world. Human labor will no longer be needed to feed the communities. (2) Our schools will be taught around useful information that will actually aid the lives of the community in the future. For example, children will be taught how to build, how to cook, how to plant, how to protect, and more. That way, if they ever get in a situation where they need to feen for themselves, they will know how.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #1

Afrofuturism Spring 2019

My Experience with Afrofuturism and Janelle Monae

Afrofuturism is a new term I recently learned in my African American Studies course at UCLA. The first time I have ever witnessed “Afrofuturism” was when I watched Black Panther, however; I did not know Black Panther was a part of the Afrofuturism movement when I was watching it. The technological advancements in the movie were impeccable and I was hypnotized by the beauty and power of it all. Fast forward a few months and I decided to take a course on Afrofuturism to learn what it really is about. Professor Due defined Afrofuturism as “speculative fiction,” the fiction of the not real’ a fantasy that entails magical realism and sometimes horror with the advancement of technology. After learning more about what the movement is all about, Professor focused her attention on the modern-day singer, Janelle Monae, and her impact on Afrofuturism. To be honest, I never was a big fan of Janelle Monae’s work until last week when we started discussing her work. Janelle Monae is not only a singer, but she is a true artist at what she does and always tells a story. Her lyrics and her music videos all have meaning and it is important to pay close attention to her work. My favorite piece of Janelle Monae's that we viewed for the course id “Dirty Computer” because of its messages. “Dirty Computer” is about a society that does not allow any person to be different and if they were, they were considered “dirty” and needed to be clean. To be “dirty” meant you were not a heterosexual, you expressed yourself in unique ways that are not like the norms of society, you danced and let loose, and you were just different. I know that many people connected with “Dirty Computer” because they have felt different in some way and have felt rejected from the rest of society. I personally love expressing myself when I dance. Dancing is my way of expressing happiness and joy, especially when I am with friends and loved ones. Even though on the outside I do not look different, because of my love for dance, I would be considered “dirty” to this society.

Janelle Monae does an outstanding job of tying in her stories with real-life issues, as well as incorporating futuristic elements to make it even more unique and compelling. I am excited to learn more about Afrofuturism and how the movement is expressed in so many different ways.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #6

My Experience in Class

This quarter has been nothing I expected it to be. I had to take four classes this quarter to have enough units to graduate, which I was hesitant about because of the workload. At the beginning of the quarter, I planned on taking an Astrobiology class because of my interest in astrology. It was every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM, the same time as African American Studies: The Sunken Place & Black Horror so I knew I could not take both classes. Plus, AF AMER was full before I could even get the chance to enroll. However, the last few days of week 2, a spot opened up in AF AMER Studies with Professor Due and I last minute decided to drop my Astrobiology class and enroll. That was the best decision I decided to take.

At first, I was very hesitant to take this class because I had no interest in Black Horror. The only experience I have had with it is through the movie, Get Out, which this class is based upon. Since I loved that movie, I decided to give it a try and to step out of my comfort zone. Nothing wrong with expanding your knowledge outside of your typical, boring classes, right?

African American Studies: The Sunken Place: Racism, Survival, Black Horror Aesthetic has easily been one of my favorite classes that I have taken at my time here at UCLA. Professor Due is an incredibly engaging professor. I loved her because her passion for the subject really resonated loud during her lectures, which never made class boring. I always wanted to pay attention to what she had to say because the lessons and topics were also incredibly interesting. We studied multiple films, modern and past, books, and short stories. Most of the stories and films were actually scary, which I loved because I am an adrenaline junkie. My favorite stories and films that we have touched on were The Good House, The Girl With All the Gifts, Wet Pain, and Beloved.

I also loved this class because it allowed me to be very creative, especially with our final project. For our final, we had the choice of writing an essay, short story, or short film. I am used to writing boring essays for other classes, so I decided to challenge my creative side and write a short story. Although I have not started yet to write the story, I am excited to delve into it and deeply explore that part of myself.

Overall, I highly recommend taking this class at UCLA, especially taking a class with Professor Due. Thank you, Professor Due, for your patience and teaching such an amazing class. I appreciate the work you put into creating the curriculum and for not making this like any other typical class.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #5

The Back Story of Allister Jones and her Family (Final Project)

Allister Jones was a 16-year-old sophomore in high school, whose life had been filled with immense sadness and harassment. She was born and raised in an all-white city, where she and her family were the only African American’s around. Growing up, she had always faced racism from her fellow peers. For example, racial slurs were yelled at her almost every day, she would be forced to sit in the back of the bus by her classmates on her way to school, and she did not have any friends to hang out with because she was different than the rest, an outsider to the white community. The saddest part was that her white peers thought this was the norm, learning everything from their parents. They believed they were superior over others who look different than them. Unfortunately for Allister, she was THAT different person.

The Jones moved to Billings, Montana in 2000 when Darnell Jones got a huge promotion for work, landing a position as the CEO for Costco Wholesale. Darnell and his wife, Aaliyah, decided to leave their families behind in Los Angeles to chase the wealthier side of life in Montana. However, they did not realize they would be the only black family in all of Billings.

Three years later, the Jones were celebrating the first birthday of their new baby girl, Allister Jones. Unfortunately, none of Darnell’s or Aaliyah’s family could make it down to Montana so the Jones were celebrating with their new friends; all of whom were white.

“Did you see Lebron James won NBA Rookie of the Year this year?!” Wyatt Smaler, one of Darnell’s managers at Costco, said to Darnell as they both snacked over catered Bristol Farms. Darnell smiled, nodded his head in awkwardness, and walked towards his wife, who was playing with baby Allister. He kissed his baby girl on the forehead and kissed Aaliyah on the lips, smiling at them both while thinking, “my life could not be any more perfect.” Unfortunately, he did not know how the life of his daughter would turn out in this new city.

One day, 16-year-old Allister was taking the bus like she normally does to school. As she enters the bus, she notices all of her white classmates become silent and stare directly at her as she starts walking down the aisle. She then notices a few white students who were sitting in the back, move to the front to make sure there was no room for her to sit anywhere in the front. “What a stupid nigger,” and a few chuckles Allister hears from a popular classmate of hers, Molly. Molly would always tease poor Allister and was praised by her other white friends whenever she did. All Allister wanted to do was belong in her community, but Molly never allowed it. This was the sad norm for Allister, as the outsider of Billings, Montana. She endured this type of harassment almost every day, but she could not do anything about it because she had no one to support her. Until one day, she found someone who could help…

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #4

 My Thoughts on The Good House by Tananarive Due & How I Relate

The Good House by Tananarive Due was one of our required readings for my African American Studies Class at UCLA. It was recommended to start reading the book during Week 2 of the Fall quarter, however; I left it till Week 4, which was a big mistake. Not because I was overwhelmed by how much I had to catch up with, but because I wish I took my time with such an amazing book. Since I only had one week to read The Good House, I decided to listen to the audible… on 1.5x speed. Although most of the time, I could not understand what the narrator was saying because of how fast the track was going, the narrator did an AMAZING job narrating the book. I think waiting the week before our midterm to read the book was a blessing in disguise because I truly enjoyed the narrator's storytelling. She did an amazing job portraying every characters voice and changing her tone to fit every scene, whether it being scary, light-hearted, or portraying sadness. She made the book even better.

To get straight to the point, I LOVED The Good House. Tananarive Due did an outstanding job of presenting all things black horror. She depicts common themes throughout the book, such as Rage, Lack of Communication, Intergenerational Family Secrets, and many more. The theme that resonated with me the most is the theme of communication. Due showcases how important one conversation can be in the ending of the story. She presents how one conversation between Angela and Cory changed the whole plot of the book. The reason why this theme resonates most with me is that my family is not the type of family who communicates constantly about our feelings or surroundings. Growing up, I was never (and am still not) used to telling my siblings I love them or tell them any of my secrets. It wasn’t that we hated each other, it just was not the norm for us. Although my lack of communication may not be the same as in the book, I believe it is extremely important to always be open to your loved ones and to never shut them out because who knows when you will be needing them the most in a time of desperation.

My only critique was that there were one too many characters. At a certain point, I got lost with who is who and what was going on with which character. However, I do believe every character played an important role in the story. READ THE BOOK WHENEVER YOU HAVE A CHANCE!

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #3

Rusty Cundieff & Tales from the Hood

On October 18, 2018, the director of the 1995 black horror film, Tales from the Hood, and the 2018 sequel, Tales from the Hood 2, visited my African American Studies class to discuss his perspective and thoughts when creating both movies. Rusty Cundieff is a famous comedian, actor, and director. I was starstruck when I first saw Rusty walk into our classroom because I recall watching Tales from the Hood for the first time when I was a young girl. Although the movie was not entirely scary for me when I was young (it takes a lot for me to get scared), I was freaked out during many of the scenes and a bit taken back. I did not understand the underlying racism when first watching the film, but after watching it the second time as an undergraduate college student, the racism is loud and clear.

What I found most interesting during our lecture/discussion with Rusty Cundieff was when he was explaining how the events going on in his everyday life was greatly influencing his thoughts when writing and directing both movies. This was also seen when Professor Due was explaining what influenced her when writing The Good House. I am not a writer, nor have a passion for it, so I believed that one had to be most creative, and think of things on the fly when creating a film, story, or book. It was interesting to see that, actually, personal experiences are most influential when creating a story. A classmate of mine asked Rusty what inspired him in creating the Emmett Till scene in Tales from the Hood 2. I was interested in this question because I too was curious about finding out what inspired him. Rusty went on in explaining multiple events that were going on around his life in which sparked his creativity for this scene. He read or heard a story about how Emmett Till was influenced by a ghost, who approached Emmett in his sleep, to converse with Carolyn Bryant. Obviously, this story is not true, but that was now in Rusty’s head. Additionally, Rusty worked with many people who believed their vote did not matter and it pissed him off. That was also now in his head. Finally, Rusty had many Republican friends who believed in voting for changes that could ultimately take away voting rights for many. This was also now in his head. He had all of this going on in his mind and wanted to create a situation where the audience can see both views of the situation. It was crazy to see how the final scene came to be because everything that was going on in his head was portrayed perfectly in the film with Rusty’s own spin to it.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #2

The Alternative Ending of Get Out

The black character finally came out on top in the real ending of Get Out, something that audience members are not used to seeing in Hollywood cinema. We see our black protagonist, Chris, be saved by his friend, Rod, from his crazy ex-girlfriend, Rose, and from death itself. When I first saw the cop car drive up to the horror scene of Chris choking Rose, I had immense anxiety because I believed a real cop would come out of the car and arrest Chris since he looked like the bad guy. However, I let out a sigh of relief and let go of all of the tension in my body when I saw Rod step outside of the cop car to save Chris. Finally, a black man’s life was saved.

The sad part is, I believed the alternative ending was going to happen in Get Out. I believed that a white police officer was behind the wheel and would arrest Chris. The alternative ending showcases Chris behind bars and ultimately giving up on life with no hope left. He now is trapped in a real sunken place of jail. What made me sad was seeing how defeated Chris was when Rod was trying to help him get out. There was no point anymore. This depicts very similar feelings of many people, especially African Americans, trapped in the United States prison system. It made me think about all of the blacks rotting away in prison jails without much hope to get out because of our corrupt system. The mass incarceration problem in the United States is a huge national problem and honestly an international embarrassment. We have more prisons than schools. We are currently BUILDING more prisons than schools. The disproportionate punishment of black and brown citizens is disgusting to see. Our politics and government are more focused on imprisoning blacks and browns than sending them to school and providing an education. Because of this sad truth, I believed the alternative ending of Get Out was bound to happen, as did many of my colleagues and friends. The alternative ending reifies the truth of black lives in America, where black lives don’t matter and blacks never win.

I remember one conversation that I had with a friend on this topic as we were driving through Inglewood. He discussed with me and pointed out how there are more liquor stores than food markets, more drug stores, and more ways to get a weapon in underprivileged cities. I thought he was bullshitting until I realized that we have not passed by one Ralphs, Whole Foods, or Vons after 6-8 blocks. In my city, there is a Ralphs on one corner, a Vons across the street, and a Whole Foods one block away. I was shocked and disheartened to see this in front of my eyes. The way that underprivileged cities are built paves the path to imprisonment for many.

[sharonatah-afrofuturism-blog]

Blog Assignment #1

The Interracial Couple

The “interracial couple” is a phrase used when describing a relationship between two people from different racial backgrounds. We have seen the interracial couple being played out in many Hollywood films and almost all depict the horror that unravels from a black man and a white woman’s relationship. Throughout history, the relationship’s between black men and white women almost always result in harm towards the black man, or worse, death. A great example of this is the relationship between a young fourteen-year-old African American boy, Emmett Till, and a white grocery store owner, Mrs. Carolyn Bryant. Although they were not in a “relationship,” their interaction ended with disturbing horror. Emmett Till was accused of whistling at and verbally offending Bryant. The result of this interaction was the unfortunate death by lynching of Till. It makes me sick to my stomach to realize that only 60 years ago, this was the norm for black men. Blacks had to be cautious of everything they do, and the sad truth is, they still need to be cautious today. This history/theme is essential in the modern day film, Get Out directed by Jordan Peele, where the price for pursuing a white woman is horror. The sad history of Till is also depicted in the short story The Comet, where a love story between a black man and a white woman is deemed forbidden and can only be if no other person is around to see.

The first scene of Get Out displays a love story between a white woman, Rose, and a black man, Chris. They are packing their belongings to visit Rose’s family. When Rose and Chris pull up to her parent's house, we notice a black man gardening and a black woman serving the white family. As the plot thickens, we find out that both workers were hypnotized by Rose’s mother and trapped in “the sunken place” and that Chris is up next. Luckily, our protagonist makes it out alive, but sadly endures immense horror and pain throughout the process.

When I first watched Get Out, my mouth was open in awe the whole entire time. Every single scene shocked me; I could not believe what I was seeing. Jordan Peele did a great job of depicting the horror that results from a black and white interracial couple. I especially felt every emotion Chris was going through when enduring Rose’s family. I truly wanted him to get out as fast as possible.

In the short story, The Comet, our protagonist is an African American man, Jim, who is working in a basement when a comet hits New York and kills every person in the city. As Jim is exploring the city, he finds a survivor, a white woman named Julia. Although Julia has been influenced by the words and propaganda of the “evils” of black men, she sees past the stereotypes and becomes infatuated by this black man and his kind truth. They believe that they are perfect for each other, taking down all racial boundaries. However, this moment is ruined by a white man honking and calling for Julia. This man turns out to be Julia’s father. Julia, unfortunately, turns away from Jeff and goes back to her comfort zone with her father.

I was saddened to read the ending of The Comet, as I was rooting for Jim. The unfortunate truth of the past is, black men and white women could not be in any relationship or be seen together in public. If they were, no matter if the white woman loved her black man, the black man would be punished tremendously. The horrible stereotypes constructed by white supremacists established a forbidden love between interracial couples.

The moral and themes of all of these stories that I picked up on are that black lives do not matter. Black men should stand clear of white women unless they want to endure serious consequences and horror.