This movie is groundbreaking in so many ways. One of which is having a strong black lead in a horror film. The is damn near unprecedented because the black person usually dies first lol

The next to last scene where rose thought the police had come to her rescue reminds me so much of this article. The historical context of white women crying rape when it comes to black men is as old as the birth of a nation. But the spin is that the stereotype did not work here.

This scene is pretty interesting because it reminds me of the auction block. It speaks to commodification of black bodies.

Martin Luther king jr. talked about white liberals in his letters from Birmingham jail. More specifically the white moderate who is seemingly liberal but is continually in the way of progress. Rose’s family represents the white moderate

The film mentions medgar Evers who was a prominent civil rights activist in Mississippi. Known for gathering witnesses in the Emmet Till case and organizing protests, he was shot and killed in his driveway in front of his children. His killer remained free until the late 90s 🤯

Minnie and Celia’s relationship is the most interesting of film in terms of complexity. Celia is considered white trash, trying to fit in with the likes of middle class white america. While Minnie is rambunctious and outgoing. Minnie often times comes to Celia’s rescue and this seems to be the disposable relationship black women have always had with while women .

Does racism go both ways? Systematically, no. Racist structures are put in place so that the oppressed have only perceived freedom. What aibleen says about white folks is a mere reaction to the grotesque way they are treated.

Hilly Holbrook mentions that she wanted to mandate a colored bathroom in every household with the help of the White Citizens council....this is a reference to the real life council created afte brown vs board

After the car of Chon’s character Eli is defaced with the slur “gook,” he explains to Kamila that the word means “country” in Korean (guk) and that the United States is called "mi guk,” or "beautiful country." In this moment, Eli chooses to teach her the “beautiful meaning” of the word rather than perpetuate a cycle of hate by explaining its anti-Asian usage.

Daniel and Eli own a sneaker store in a predominantly black neighborhood. I found this interesting because often times other minorities go into black neighborhoods to make money but never to enrich or give back. This often contributes to the hostility and “us vs them” mentality blacks may have

As I watched ‘Gook’ I couldn’t help but reminisce about the case that spear-headed tensions between blacks and Asian communities in LA at that time. Latasha Harlins a black girl was shot by a Korean shop owner to death. Upon learning about this, I felt so many emotions. Because two minority communities were literally pitted against one another in order to survive here. That it ALOT

As we can see, intersectionality has always taken place. Though Chiron is perhaps unable to articulate it in ways that James Baldwin so elequently could, watching his life play out in a coming of age movie was telling enough

Chiron lives at the intersection of so many different oppressions. He’s black, poor, and homosexual. He’s forced to conceal the parts of his identity that aren’t so overt, which leads him to a lot of disillusionment as he becomes a man. The exploration of manhood through the lens of some one who lives such a juxtaposed life is groundbreaking and quite extraordinary

This scene really takes the exploration of intimacy and emotion to another level. This is one of the few times Chiron has vulnerable interactions with another man. Though Chiron realizes his homosexuality, I think this scene is important as it speaks to the larger idea of vulnerability and intimacy exploration between black men

Chiron spends the entire movie trying to figure out who he is. He grows up In poverty and has to not only battle the streets but also battle stereotypesof what it means to be a black man. Jaun does a phenomenal job at showing a more rounded version of what it means to be a gangster. He helps Chiron navigate a world he did not choose.