In the 2016 film Race, actor Stephan James portrays Jesse Owens, a black athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games just before World War II started. Owens, who was born in 1913 and lived through the Great Migration – where 1.5 million African-Americans left the segregated South in a search for a better life in the North – died from cancer in 1980 without recognition of his achievements from his president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt slighted him because of his colour, just like the German dictator Adolf Hitler did. Hitler wanted to use the games to establish the acceptability of his views of the superior Arian race and was affronted as 6 of the 11 medals won by the Americans were triumphed by black people that year.
Apart from certain script and dialogue drawbacks, the story is a strong one. The characters do well to show the ethically conflicting nature of politics at the time.
A lot of anger rose up in me whilst watching the film, and when reading about Owen’s life afterwards. Although every person involved in Owen’s life during that time were pioneers in their own right, taking enormous strides against racism through “defining moments that helped to encourage a change in the cultural landscape” (in the words of the New York Times), I wake up today to see that not much has changed.
It’s hard to know what to say in times like these.
War, killings, and violence in unspeakable forms shine a maddening light on the true state of our souls. Yes, that’s right, all of us… all of us need one thing:
Redemption (n.)
… An improvement, exchange ~ some sort of salvation for our souls…
Baghdad, Syria, America, Africa, and all of Europe – we desperately need a Saviour.
And in the meantime, let’s work together to fix the broken bones that our body has (in the form of the Black Lives Matter and Women Matter movements, for example!).
I’ve long dreamt and prayed prayers (even as a black person) to make things like this go away quickly without ruffling too many feathers, and have just recently dealt (Praise God!) with a life full of self-hate because of my colour – a recovering racist, dealing with racism against my own kind. I’ve long thought that the cries of my people were a slight irritation, and like flies, I’ve wanted to swat away my responsibility, not wanting to be associated with that kind of cyclical pain.
Healing took place when I admitted my bitterness and anger to God, making moves to be involved in the upliftment of all that I saw (see) was broken.
I love that the Bible chooses to make mention that Jesus knows each of our names (Matthew 10:30); he knows every one of our cries. So, while we’re saying the names of those who’ve died unreasonable deaths, lets remember that our father loves justice, and loves to see that each one of the ones that he loves is loved! We are exonerated because the Father says so… I only pray that each person would see that.
The oppressors have pushed others down for way too long without a valid reason except their own pride, and the oppressed fight back (as is expected) in ways that, sometimes, invalidate their cause.
What work needs to be done so that each and every person is able to see and feel that they are truly loved by God and given a fair chance? A lot of work. In my view, it starts with first accepting Jesus, and changing our worldview – unfastening what we’ve been fed and taught by society at large.
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