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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) created a post in Movie Fun and Trivia

Sep 17, 2018  
Alright, old folks like me. What was the name of the movie and the character who played a heroic Native American ex-Army Green Beret who used his karate skills to fight racism and oppression? You could not turn on the tv in the 70s and 80s without seeing this playing on the late night movie.
  
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Stephen (188 KP) Sep 17, 2018

Billy Jack, watched it a million times.

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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) Sep 17, 2018

Oh, yeah. Me too!

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Maxien Gorry (74 KP) rated Carnival Row in TV

Nov 17, 2019  
Carnival Row
Carnival Row
2019 | Drama, Fantasy
Brilliant! I
I really enjoyed this but it was just way too short of a season.
It's fantasy that I have never seen before and what makes it even better is how it includes many of the everyday things we all read about, see, experience etc, such as racism, sexism, etc.
I can to wait for season 2
  
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Sam (74 KP) rated The Hate u Give in Books

Nov 30, 2018  
The Hate u Give
The Hate u Give
Angie Thomas | 2017 | Children
2
8.4 (54 Ratings)
Book Rating
Strong Characterisation, Great Cover (0 more)
Wrong Tone, Bad Examples (0 more)
Problematic
I was so excited to start reading this one. Because of how popular it had been, I'd put off buying it for ages. Waterstones had a special edition in and that was as much of an excuse as I needed to buy it.
It's got five-star reviews everywhere, has won so many awards, and literally, everyone is talking about it. So, of course, it's worth a try.
Only I didn't enjoy it to the point where I got halfway through and couldn't finish it. I wasn't even sure whether to post the review because I know that lots of people will disagree with me over this.
I was so excited for a book to be out that's about police brutality in America towards black teenagers, and was surprised, to begin with, that something as serious as this was in a YA book, but also happy that it was being told to teenagers. It sounded like my ideal book.
But I just couldn't get along with it at all. The whole idea with the book is to show what casual racism is doing to America, but at the same time on every few pages, there's another part talking about how horrible and funny and evil white people are. If a book wants to make a stand against racism, make a stand against it from both sides, not just one. You cannot end racism by calling the other race.
I just found it really one-sided in its battle against racism. I am definitely not saying that the police shooting was right, let me just say that, and Starr has every right to hate the police for shooting her best friend. However, this does not mean that every few pages there needs to be a comment about how awful white people are.
A much healthier focus for the book would have been equality, not switching the racism to the other side in a 'how-do-you-like-it-now' move.

Read the full review at https://ohbookit.blog
  
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration
Michelle Alexander | 2012 | Essays, History & Politics
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was interesting, informative and a bit depressing because I didn't realize just how many of our black men are in prison. And the fact that people don't see how mass incarceration is a form of racism and segregation is baffling to me. I think this is a book that all people should read so they can understand how justice really works.
  
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Merissa (11704 KP) created a post

Nov 23, 2020  
"Set in the Deep South in 1947, The Waltz of Devil’s Creek digs into the dark crevices of racism and women’s rights during a heated political climate in an era of segregation."

BLITZ, EXCERPT & #GIVEAWAY - The Waltz of Devil’s Creek by Justine Carver - @Archaeolibrary, @XpressoTours, #Adult, #Historical,

https://archaeolibrarian.wixsite.com/website/post/the-waltz-of-devil-s-creek-by-justine-carver
     
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
2018 | Biography, Comedy, Crime
From Director Spike Lee comes the incredible story of true American hero. In the early 1970s, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The movie is based on Stallworth’s 2014 book Black Klansman, which details his experience. When it came time to meet the Klan members face-to-face, he utilized the help of a white undercover narcotics officer (Adam Driver in the movie), who posed as Stallworth for all in-person meetings with the Klan. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

The film is very creative in the way that it presents history and allows the audience ride along with the action, suspense, and anxiety experience by Washington and Driver’s characters. The tone of the film, at times, is lighthearted in its approach but quickly draws you back in when faced with the reality that David Duke, and people like him walk among us dressing up their racism with non-threatening slogans, professional attire, and a clean-cut package.

The story displayed is a reminder that racism in America has a long history and is not isolated geographically to the south nor limited to Charlottesville or Charleston. The attitudes and actions committed by those who agree with the stances of white supremacy and white supremacist organizations have had a drastic impact on the development of American society. It has shaped and misshapen our attitudes towards one another. It continues to affect us today as we all bear witness to unbridled racism or the downplaying of racism with terms like “political correctness.” This film is timely in its approach and offers audiences a more full and expansive view of what combatting racism and racist attitudes and actions looks like.

Blackkklansman is a film that many have waited for when first hearing about the story of Ron Stallworth and they will not be disappointed with what they witness on screen. Sadly, the people who desperately need to see this movie may pass on it because they are uncomfortable with the subject matter and the reality that they themselves may be complicit in the continuance of racism and white supremacy. This film feels like a conversation being conducted directly between the director and audience. There are subtleties that allow the audience to think about the meaning and even parallel between the early 1970s and the current political environment, as well as, moments where there is no hiding of the message, no metaphor, no allegory. The filmmakers make it clear for those watching that many of us need to wake up almost as blatantly as Spike Lee promotes one of his earlier films, School Daze.

The only problem I found with the film was that I was left wanting more discussion. I wanted to see more of what Ron Stallworth dealt with as the only black detective in his department. If anything, this shows a real strength in the film by leaving audiences emotionally connected with the horrors that he faced, as well as, the way that those around him come to grips with the reality of the hatred and racial violence that had overlooked before because it did not have a direct effect on them. Blackkklansman is a film that will have audiences reflecting long after the credits have rolled. Hopefully the themes, metaphors, and overall message will help foster overdue and well-needed conversations about race, racism, prejudice, and violence. This film takes audiences out of their comfort zones and forces them to face some of the dark corners of America for two hours. Within that two hours, hopefully the people who don’t recognize racism and bigotry get a glimpse of the true horror and fear that marginalized communities feel on a daily basis so that they themselves can be agents of change and fight against racism.
  
Difficult Women
Difficult Women
Roxane Gay | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slightly disappointed, slightly repetitive
I was absolutely gearing up for Roxane Gay's latest book which turned out to be a mish mash of interesting short stories, intersecting racism, classism and sexism. The only issue was about 75% of the book seemed to repeat itself. It seemed to be missing a trick - there are more to women's lives than men, which was the main focus.
  
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Jay Manuel recommended The Chiffon Trenches in Books (curated)

 
The Chiffon Trenches
The Chiffon Trenches
Andre Leon Talley | 2020 | Art, Photography & Fashion
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"As one of the most powerful black voices in the fashion industry—an industry rife with racism—I found André’s journey on how he overcame all of the prejudices in a system designed to exclude him, so inspiring. I was captivated by his singular voice and left in awe of his tenacity. I consider it an honor to call him a colleague and friend."

Source
  
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Tracey Thorn recommended Lady Sings The Blues in Books (curated)

 
Lady Sings The Blues
Lady Sings The Blues
Billie Holiday | 2021 | Biography, Music & Dance
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"I read this at the same time as I discovered her music. It’s very shocking, full of sexual abuse, drug addiction, violence, and racism, and opened my eyes to a lot of things I hadn’t known about or understood. It made me realize where songs like Strange Fruit had come from. The rawness of those songs had their roots in a devastating history of life experience."

Source
  
Empire of light (2022)
Empire of light (2022)
2022 | Drama, Romance
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Olivia coleman (1 more)
Michael ward
Second film this year I've seen that deals with mental health as an issue the other one being a man called otto anyway the film Brilliant performances from both leads as this film is set in the 1980s it also deals with racism as part of the plot which I didn't like I liked the setting the seaside overall good movie