“You can murder a liberator, but
you can’t murder a liberation.” - Fred
Hampton.
On Friday, Feb. 12, the long-
awaited biopic, “Judas and the Black
Messiah,” will be released. The film
is a historical portrayal of the Illinois
chapter of the Black Panther Party
for Self-Defense. The Black Panther
Party
championed
countless
community programs, including
the Free Breakfast Program and the
People’s Free Ambulance Service, as
well as a constant pursuit of adequate
health care, education, housing
and self-determination. Led by
Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton,
the Illinois chapter, like many of
its nation-wide counterparts, was
a militant body of revolutionaries
challenging the global institutions
of
capitalism,
imperialism
and
fascism –– oppressive mediums
inextricably
bound
to
racism.
Hampton was primed for his
position as a leader throughout
his youth. Having observed the
eloquence of intellectuals and the
inspired oration of Malcolm X, he
was profoundly aware that he had
been called on to serve The People,
and while a student at Triton Junior
College, he founded the Illinois
chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Tasked with embodying such
poise, actor Daniel Kaluuya does
Chairman Fred Hampton’s integrity
justice and the rest of us a service
with his captivating performance.
Writer and director Shaka King
remarks, “When we sat down
together,
(Kaluuya)
had
some
qualities, as a person, that I’ve heard
a lot of people use to describe Fred.
A real sense of maturity, a gravitas,
a power of presence, (… ) —a wit, a
cleverness. ( . . . ) And Fred possessed
that as well.”
The film depicts the life and love
of the Illinois chapter, as well as
the internal conflict of 17-year-old
William O’Neal, played by LaKeith
Stanfield. O’Neal is obligated to both
the BPP and the government’s will,
having been planted into the ranks
of the Illinois chapter by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation to infiltrate
the Black Panther Party and surveil
Hampton –– one of FBI director J.
Edgar Hoover’s so-called “Black
Messiahs.”
The Saturday before the movie’s
release, Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith
Stanfield,
Dominique
Fishback
(portraying
Deborah
Johnson),
Dominique Thorne (Judy Harmon),
Algee Smith (Jake Winters) and
Darrell Britt-Gibson (Bobby Rush)
sat down with the Michigan in
Color section of The Michigan Daily
to discuss the film. These actors
embody the quintessential theme of
both the film and the Black Panther
Party –– the manifold nature of
Revolution. In speaking to them, it
became apparent that the film was
emblematic of three realizations
of
Revolution:
Womanhood
as
Revolution, Serving the People as
Revolution and ultimately, Love as
Revolution.
“Women create worlds and we
create lives. And how revolutionary
is it to create love and to create
life and surrender it to the world?
That’s extremely radical. And so on
a basic level, women are and always
(have)
been
revolutionary
and
radical,” Fishback told The Daily.
And at the forefront of history, at
the forefront of scholarship, at the
forefront of the Black Panther Party
and at the forefront of this film are
Black women. The biopic offers us
two female forces: non-fictional
writer and activist Johnson (now
known as Mama Akua Njeri) and
fictional Judy Harmon, the chapter’s
security captain meant to represent
unyielding Black women and their
supreme discipline. Johnson is a
constant pillar of love, support, trust
and humanity.
In the Warner Bros. production
notes, shared with The Daily,
Shaka King embraces Johnson —
Hampton’s fiancée — as Hampton’s
intellectual equal and vessel to
render him, “from superhuman to
human(…) In getting to know her,
he becomes the People. In turn, she
becomes a Revolutionary.” Johnson
challenges Hampton’s leadership,
encouraging him to step down and
stand with the People and to exist
with the People, who in turn, he
becomes. Fishback and her character
Johnson alike are representations
of unapologetic truth and a clarity
of purpose. They guide the path
to seeing liberation through. In an
interview with The Daily, Thorne,
playing Harmon, articulates the
Revolutionary force of women within
the film with pristine eloquence:
“There’s a reason why Judy Harmon
was in that room. There’s a reason
why Deborah Johnson was in those
rooms, there is a very clear reason
why, and hopefully you see that in
the action that they take and in the
way that they speak to each other. It
was about telling the truth, honestly,
because that has been the legacy of
Black women since the beginning
of time.”
Hampton’s speeches are central
to the film, which parallel his
reverence for oration in real life;
central to these speeches are always
the People to whom he is speaking.
When asked what he hoped people
would take away from the film,
Kaluuya told The Daily that he
wants the movie to represent what
“the Black Panther Party(…) stood
for. They fed kids with the breakfast
program, they educated kids, they
covered Legal Aid, they organized
buses in order for people who had
family members in prison(…) to go
and visit them; they really poured
love within their own community.
And the earnest narrative of them
being a terrorist organization was
rooted in white fear of Black life.”
Hampton
was
a
vessel
for
defending, protecting and upholding
the People first and foremost;
the BPP nurtured the People and
provided them with the material
and
intellectual
resources
for
optimal
progression
toward
personal and community goals.
The production notes also quote
Dominique Fishback speaking to
the power of the Black Panther
Party and respective intellectual
enlightenment: “To learn about
the Black Panther Party is to learn
how to be at the helm of your own
investigational studies and also
guided by your own intuition. A deep
knowing of truth.” Just as the true
players of history lived each moment
pursuing their deepest knowing of
truth, the actors that created this
film did so as an act of servitude to
the People, for the sake of informing
and providing resources through
which one may expand limitlessly.
Poetry is ever-present in the
film as a mechanism for depicting
both the Black Panthers’ inherent
poetic nature and the understanding
of revolution as existing within
creation. And this poetry, for which
Johnson is a vessel, is the ultimate
representation of revolutionary love.
Upon Hampton and Johnson’s first
meeting, she remarks to him, “Just so
you know, you are a poet.” Hampton
eventually
begins
to
embrace
Johnson’s ideology –– that being
radical is more than inspired action;
it is loving, building, caring and
learning. Fishback herself echoes the
sentiment that embodying profound
love takes shape in a multitude of
ways, positing to The Daily, “We
think that revolutionaries are only
gun carrying and speaking out on
platforms, but we see the levels. We
have Dominique Thorne, who plays
Judy Harmon; she has the gun, and
she’s on a security team. And then
we have my character, navigating
the whole world, what women do.”
Love as told through poetry is
Johnson’s radical nature, and in this,
she recognizes that love within and
for family is inherently antithetical
to any system existing to isolate,
separate and oppress. Fishback, who
told The Daily she is a poet herself,
said she wrote inspired poetry
specifically for the film. In the film,
Johnson recites a deeply spiritual
poem that portrays her greatest
passions, joys and fears. In her poem,
she reflects on her fear that she will
never be radical enough for the man
she loves –– that raising a family and
putting her family first isn’t radical
enough. Tears falling from her
face, she looks up at Hampton and
speaks of her realization that every
characteristic of herself that she fears
is not radical enough, is exactly what
make her radical. Just as Hampton
understands his purpose as one for
the People, Deborah understands
herself as not only a vessel for radical
Love through her poetry, but a vessel
for radical Love through the living
being within her –– a culmination of
the mutual love, care and respect at
the foundation of their relationship.
This
film
was
indubitably
affecting in its representation of
Black family, love and power, though
it did not capture everything that
Chairman Fred Hampton and the
BPP’s anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist
politic was. The Black Panther Party
and the film’s events implore us to
execute self-education, especially
through reading, of information
beyond the scope of pop culture
or what is immediately available
to us. Politics must be internalized
for individual understanding, so
that we may serve the People in
the most interpersonally effective
way feasible. We must create trust,
first with ourselves and our own
intellect, and then apply that to the
world we interact with in the pursuit
of servitude. Hampton himself
proclaims, “not theory and theory
alone, but theory and practice. The
two go together. We not only thought
about the Marxist-Leninist theory —
we put it into practice. This is what
the Black Panther Party is about.”
“We do not fight racism with racism.
We fight racism with solidarity. We
do not fight exploitative capitalism
with Black capitalism. We fight
capitalism with basic socialism. And
we do not fight imperialism with more
imperialism. We fight imperialism with
proletarian internationalism.” - Black
Panther Party Co-Founder Bobby Seale
“In speaking to (the cast of
“Judas and the Black Messiah”), it
became apparent that the film was
emblematic of three realizations
of Revolution: Womanhood as
Revolution, Serving the People as
Revolution and ultimately, Love as
Revolution.”
At
President
Joe
Biden’s
inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021,
22-year-old Amanda Gorman
delivered an original poem,
“The Hill We Climb.” The Los
Angeles resident and Harvard
College graduate made history
as
the
youngest
known
inaugural
poet,
sparking
admiration and conversation in
the following weeks.
Her
poem
isn’t
without
criticism, however. Some people
have taken to the comment
sections in newspapers like
The Hill to demean her values
with matters of technicality.
Check out Reddit’s r/Poetry
subreddit, a place to share and
discuss published poetry, and
you’ll find similar sentiments.
One user said, “The meter is all
over the place. The wordplay
is inane. It’s full of patriotic
platitudes and contains nothing
new or surprising. It wouldn’t
inspire anyone at any time
except Americans, today.”
So, I am inclined to ask,
what makes a good poem? The
structure?
Its
impact?
I’ve
heard various people commend
the artist yet criticize the
poem
for
things
such
as
“clichés”
and
“frustrating
meter.”
Additionally,
others
have praised “The Hill We
Climb” for its messages and
pacing but question whether
it
is
“technically
strong.”
Regardless, I think that there is
great merit in the work as a piece
of art. Art and creativity can be
important tools for inspiring
people, and Gorman utilized
them to do just that. A Forbes
article
says,
“Gorman
has
produced poetry and studied
sociology,
so
in
combining
complex social science into an
art form, she has developed a
unique offering in both fields.”
I’d have to agree.
Journalists,
teachers
and
YouTubers alike have begun
analyzing
Gorman’s
piece,
noting
references
to
the
Bible and other poets’ work.
Personally, I hear rhythms and
repetitions that remind me of
the musical “Hamilton.” There
are two references to the musical
within the poem, in addition to
commentary on current events.
The significance? Gorman is
purposeful in her words and
presentation. The accessibility
of her piece, though indifferent
to the poem’s technicality, is,
bluntly put, incredible. There is
still value that can be measured
in the conciseness of words and
density of thought within it,
but the poem’s reach to general
audiences should be considered
invaluable.
The
feelings
it
evoked in countless people,
even if only for a moment,
have been monumental (just
check
out
the
positivity
related to #AmandaGorman on
Twitter). Gorman’s position as
an inaugural poet gave her a
platform to deliver a message
in a moving way, reaching those
who previously wouldn’t have
given poetry a second thought.
I think this is one area that
she succeeds, not just in her
poem, but in her empowering
execution.
In her delivery, Gorman’s
presence
exudes
strength,
but her words also reflect
pain. Poignant lines remind
young Americans — not unlike
Gorman — that our work is
not done. We must strive for
progress in a society that is
fast-paced
and
continuously
evolving.
Accommodating
changing times also means
acknowledging the dark that
remains. In doing so, and in
the words of Gorman herself in
“The Hill We Climb,” perhaps
we might “raise this wounded
world into a wondrous one.”
What exactly does it mean “to
forge a union with purpose?”
Can love truly “become our
legacy?” Will the poem that
implores such affirmations be
remembered and recited for
years to come? I don’t know, but
I don’t believe that its relevance
to the present detracts from
the message it has to tell. If
anything, the call for light and
unity is one that we needed.
Poetry and technicality:
Amanda Gorman’s
“The Hill We Climb”
ELIZABETH SCHRINER
MiC Columnist
puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com
By Julian Lim
©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
02/17/21
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
02/17/21
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Release Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2021
ACROSS
1 “__ All That”:
1999 movie
5 Diver’s gear
9 “Fancy seeing
you here!”
14 Hoof it on a bad
knee, say
15 Ecstatic internet
shout
16 Driver’s choice
17 Oberlin’s state
18 “We tried, but this
won’t work”
20 Give up on
22 Superman’s
makeup?
23 Fashion plate
24 Kerfuffle
27 Construction
girder
31 Dubuque
denizen
33 Serve as a
reminder
37 Mic __:
triumphant move
39 Finnish company
that created
Angry Birds
40 James Patterson
hero __ Cross
41 Do an
accountant’s job
44 Cheapen
45 Subtle summons
46 Run-of-the-mill
47 Nonsense
50 Yellowfins, e.g.
55 Write briefly and
quickly
59 Cause of a crash
62 Family __
63 Cup or star
64 Emerald City
princess
65 “Haven’t decided
yet”
66 Uses WhatsApp,
say
67 Eject
68 Tibetan title
DOWN
1 Slackens the
pace
2 Drum kit item with
a pedal
3 “Into the Wild”
star Hirsch
4 Took the mic
5 “Just saying,” in
66-Across
6 Kappa preceder
7 Meddlesome
8 Nonsense
companion?
9 Black-and-white
dessert
10 Ian who plays
Bilbo Baggins
11 It might be
adjusted in
Photoshop
12 Kang and
Kodos, on “The
Simpsons”
13 “Affirmative”
19 Sellout letters
21 Sacha Baron
Cohen alter ego
24 Mil. truants
25 “You wouldn’t __!”
26 Black gemstone
used to make
beads
28 Snooze inducer
29 Auth. unknown
30 Gun
32 Actor Epps
33 Fish story
notable
34 Backs (out)
35 Popular video
game series, with
“The”
36 Unruly groups
37 Scot’s Scotch
order
38 Yahoo
42 Foreshadows
43 R&B great
James
48 Ending with
malt
49 Ache
51 “__ we meet
again”
52 Fashionista
Kamali
53 Likely roster for
the big game
54 “I’m outta here”
55 Bar flier
56 Rice-shaped
pasta used in
salads
57 Acronymic
anxiety about
being excluded
from the fun
58 Group with
pledges
59 The 1% in 1%
milk
60 Flabbergast
61 Sales __
SUDOKU
5
6
1
9
2
6
2
3
5
6
8
9
8
4
9
5
4
7
8
6
9
4
1
4
5
3
6
1
6
4
9
“Subscribe to
The Daily!”
“Happy
President’s
Day
02/11/21
WHISPER
“Judas and the Black Messiah”: life and liberation
GABRIJELA SKOKO &
ANAMIKA KANNAN
Managing MiC Editors
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan in Color
6 — Wednesday, February 17, 2021