have you seen antebellum yet?
It’s fascinating the power words can hold in our lives. The dictionary has over a million words in it with more added every month; the Oxford English Dictionary just added code red, craftivist, AND Cookie Monster!
Four Words For Mental Preparation:
Reenactment (noun) - the acting out of a past event; the action of bringing a law into effect again.
Parks (noun) - In an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats.
Amusement (noun) - Something that causes laughter or provides entertainment.
Vote (noun) - A formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands or by voice.
These four words may seem random, but have you seen Antebellum yet? Antebellum focuses on author Veronica Henley who finds herself trapped in a terrifying reality, forcing her to confront the past, present, and future before life changes for the worse. Miss Janelle Monáe you are a perfect picture of how we can do many things as Black women and I thank you for being you! The constant display of slavery as the only image of history for people with melanin skin is absurd. We have many recreations of Black lives in every form of media to last us all a lifetime of February’s for Black History Month education. Antebellum is not your average “Black people were slaves” film. Does everyone agree? We should all be able to experience childhood without feeling ashamed, traumatized, and defeated from history and the reenactment of history before hitting puberty. But let me get back to why this film release is important during these pandemic times.
It actually took me the second try to finish watching Antebellum because I was pretty tired during movie night. Either way, it deserves multiple viewings because by the third time I was still pondering and mentally processing what was happening on screen for an hour and 45 minutes. The magnitude and perception of escaping slavery in the year 2020 sounds extreme and yet, I can’t help but wonder where all the kidnapped minorities end up? How is it that a person can go missing one day on their way to school as usual? To work? On a run? I constantly repeat to myself “I AM BLACK” no matter how unsafe or safe I feel in my area, how much money I have or don’t have, and how unbeautiful or beautiful I think I am. MY SKIN is enough for anyone to treat me as “other”. I urge anyone to watch the film Antebellum with an open heart, open and wandering mind because I don’t have to wear a bonnet on my head and pick cotton again for you to imagine me as a slave again, do I? Just watch this trailer:
If you are having trouble finding reasons to vote, watch Antebellum. November 3rd is the last day voting polls will be open, but not the only day. The real question is, do you believe the many shades of black and brown people around our planet deserve to live here? Deserve to live at all? I had the opportunity to march alongside those who marched when Martin Luther King Jr fought for my rights to live let alone write a blog today. And is that really something to be proud of? Of course I am very proud. I just wish life would move forward for all of us because being comfortable in our own skin is something we all would love. To walk around in any neighborhood like I belong there because it would be normal to belong anywhere. How threatened does a system have to be to fear positive and healthy changes that include us all? Systemic oppression is real whether it affects your own personal life directly or not. Every life is important to someone else and that should be enough. If we can honor the dead respectfully and with peace, what is wrong with respecting the time we all have to live? If slavery can last centuries and we have the footage to prove it, what’s wrong with being uncomfortable for a moment compared to a generation of lifetimes? If you need a mental break from your own lives, I encourage everyone to cast their votes and end the night with a movie night to acknowledge your accomplishments! Antebellum for the win!
I understand if this film is “not your cup of tea” or this film category “dampens the mood,” but do try to understand where I come from and what watching this film has done for my personal amusement. I had never thought about myself living in this millennium in servitude before watching Antebellum. I don’t know my personal historical lineage nor where I come from, but I do know my ancestors courage to endure slavery, fight with faith for freedom someday and allow me to walk freely today IS my history. Painting a mental picture of a present day slave makes my bones shiver and it is not my favorite role of a “past time” I enjoy reminiscing. For one thing, had you heard of reenactment parks before reading? They take place annually and focus on a particular war in American history, which may be some type of amusement for some, playing dress up over periods of time where “all” never included my family, my friends, my communities, or even my existence in itself. I think we all can agree changing anything is difficult and takes time due to difficulties. If people are screaming and crying in the streets “STOP KILLING US”, then know PEOPLE are being murdered. I understand if you don’t “feel” me and know the feeling is mutual.
Why do we, as people, want to be correct about “all” and strive to be the best at “all” when it is truly impossible to KNOW everything? I LOVE to dance, but it does not mean I know every dance move created nor am I the best dancer in the world. What is something you enjoy doing that doesn’t harm yourself or your surroundings? And if someone told you you can’t do it, would you believe them or continue to do it? Something so simple as dancing is one huge blessing I love to experience and having that right would be impossible if I chose to sign-up for an annual Civil Rights War reenactment. What do I reenact myself as during slavery? If you decide to watch Antebellum this Covid year I just have a two part final question for you. . . Amusement parks or reenactment parks? How often is our world one huge reenactment park? Vote. Be a positive part of change.
Tyicia, (AKA Ty), entertainer, counselor, writer/ publisher and life enthusiast has her own remarkable way of connecting to different audiences thoughts, moods and inner desires in search of truth and understanding. From her joy in teaching and being a life coach to bringing intellectual reasoning and concept to things that matter most within todays society, theres no wonder why writing and blogging became second nature. Starting in her 20’s, Ty became more in tune with writing blogs the more she discovered her voice and pen is impactful and has a significant place in todays society. She is bold, confident and not afraid to shed light on even the most sensitive topics. Tyicia speaks from experience and learned observation within her life, relationships, and living in todays society. Writing is a way for her to shed light, awareness, and offer solution on all topics that impact life as we know it. If you are confident, seek understanding, and have no boundaries, Ty’s writing is just right for you.