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Three strikes or third times a charm?

I just watched, 12 Years a Slave and The Butler.  About a week and a half ago I watched Fruitvale Station.  Possible spoiler alert, if you haven't seen these three movies, ahead.  First thing that I must make mention off is the fact that one movie is set during slavery in the early 1800's, the second follows a boy to adulthood starting about seventy years after slavery "ended"and the last one in modern times. All the are based on true stories.

I love a good movie.  I love the subject of history.  A movie that is based in history and it's good, I am basically hooked from the beginning.  That being said, when those movies have to do with race relations I am sitting on the fence.  Just because of the fact that these types of movies remind me that, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

12 Years a Slave had the main character being kidnapped then sold into slavery.  We all know this story right? The white people feel they are better than the blacks and therefore have a right to own then and do with them as they please.  Please!

The Butler sees the main character watch his father get killed in the cotton field and his mother loses her mind.  The white woman feels that because she is better than him she will "save"him.  This character goes on to command the attentions of a few presidents.  The main characters boss however, feels that he and the white staff are better than and deserve more than the black staff.  Once again, please!

On the last movie, the main character had a few issues and had been incarcerated.  He encounters a racist while in jail and they have bad blood.  Once it this racist basically jumps on the main character and a brawl happens between the racist and his buddies and the main character and his.   The police never even speak to the racist, the aggressor, and pulls these black group off the train.  These cops feel that they are better than the black males.  Then once the cop shoots the main character they still act like they are doing the black males a favor.  It really makes you say hmmmmmmm.

For me the fact that these three movies are set in completely different times, geographical areas and circumstances but still have the same theme, shows how much has remained the same.  Of course, as a people in whole, the black race has made exceptional strides and that is what is amazing.  This is the common thread, the ability our people have to continue on even when faced with such adversity as racism.  We may be down but don't count us out because the will to fight is strong.

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