This insight is from a Remarkist Memento.
Title: For the Love of Media
Creator: @hunter
Event (Watch Party): Sister Act
Event Date: 2023-02-05
Drop Date: 2023-02-05
Remarkist World: Sister Act (Films)
Density: 50 KD
Number of Editions: 15
February sparks an onset of Black History content. We’re inundated with documentaries and dramas produced for the masses in the hopes of aiding the consumer to expand their understanding of past events in Black History and its impact on American culture today. My education, and most Black Americans’ education, evolved on the sofa with family.
Consider (and research) the following:
“Biiiig fuuun... in BALtimoreee.” “Did I do that?” “She's your... QUUEEEN to beee..” “All my life, I had to FIGHT.” “Kunta... Kunta Kinte.” “Damn... Damn... DAMN!”
These quotes, and the television shows and movies from which they hailed, have been ingrained in the Black American community’s psyche. They’re a rite of passage for young eyes -- so they know, and we know, our culture passed on. When spoken, even without context, the sentiment is delivered. If uttered in public, a laugh will ensue soon after... or a silent nod.
We know. We understand. It doesn’t need to be elaborated.
Those couch discussions were filled with laughter, arguments, and most importantly, recognition of our existence. Good or bad, we were reflected on the screen. I learned why it was so important to see Whoopi Goldberg portray Celie in “The Color Purple” as well as acting in “Sister Act.” Halle Berry as “Queen” transformed the way I thought of women during enslavement and furthered my hunger to learn what wasn’t in the books. Understanding why Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar win was significant to our community while simultaneously disparaging the character she played was a critical baseline in valuing representation.
With each rewatch of these Black staples, my grandparents’ and elders’ insights into the topics brushed over or under the rug by movies remain as valuable today as they did when I first watched them. Media proved to be an instrumental tool in my cultural education, more so than most of what I learned in textbooks...
And it continues to mold me today.
HB
Remarkist: @hunter
Lover of Media, Reader of Books, Writer of Things, Grower of Plants, Court Reporter Extraordinaire, and First of Her Name.
Instagram: @hunter_boyle_
Twitter: @hunter_boyle_
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