Small Axe: The Mangrove at the BBC

The Real Mangrove NIne

Imagine you are sitting in a local Caribbean cafe, enjoying a meal with your friends and loved ones, and the police come in and smash the place up.  I heard about the Mangrove  many years ago.  

 

This is the first of four films which The BBC will be screening on the BBC under the heading of "Small Axe".  

These films by Steve McQueen, who directed Twelve Years a Slave, will explore the experience of Black people in Britain.  

All the proprietor, Frank Crichlow, wanted was to run a Caribbean restaurant which reflected his culture and that of his local community.  But the racism of the police turned it into a battleground.  They are shown brutally trying to close down the Mangrove and even assaulting Frank Crichlow in the courtroom. 

This film, The Mangrove, is still available on iplayer.  This article about the Mangrove and the Mangrove Nine contains footage of the events described.  It also gives background information, including the fact that drugs, which apparently came from a police lab, were found on the premises.  

Black activists, including Darcus Howe, got involved in the struggle around the Mangrove.  This was an education for many people, not least Frank Crichlow.  

If you have not seen this film, you definitely need to see it.  I hope it will be shown internationally.  

Plus journalist Peter Kellner talks about giving evidence at the Old Bailey trial of the Mangrove Nine. 

See also:  Injustice:  The Film the Police Tried to Ban.  

Plus, we discussed television showing films about the Black experience here.  

Please share this with your networks and please comment below.  Thanks.  

 

The Black Man Who Attends Klan Rallies

I am sure you have heard about Spike Lee's new film, BlacKkKlansman.

In this TED talk, Daryl Davis talks about forming a friendship with a Klan leader.  He didn't do it because it was his job. Unlike Ron Stallworth, the author of BlacK Klansman: A Memoir and subject of Spike Lee's film, Daryl Davis was not an undercover police officer.  

Davis was fascinated with finding out how, and why, people hate others whom they don't even know.  So he approached the Klan. 

This TED talk shows that true friendship can form between people who come from conflicting ideologies, even the white supremacist ideology of the Klan. 

Daryl Davis has proven that, although we stronngly disagree, we can have mutual respect for one another.  And we can connect with, and form friendships with, anyone. 

See also:  Spike Lee Wants Us to Respect Our White Allies.  

Please leave your comments below and please share this with your networks.  Thanks.  

Go here for the Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence.

Spike Lee Wants Us to Respect Our White Allies

I am so glad Spike Lee has said this.  And, of course, he is right.  There have always been white people who were committed to justice.  And there have always been white people who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives due to their commitment to justice. 

During slavery, the people who owned the safe houses in the Underground Railroad were often white. 

Having said that, a lot of the violence that's going on now is no different from what happened during slavery. 

During apartheid in South Africa, some white people were imprisoned and risked losing their lives for challenging the apartheid regime.  Many others protested against apartheid internationally. 

And in Jim Crow America, white people risked their lives on the Freedom Rides.  

So let's not forget our history.  

And always remember, WHITE PEOPLE ARE NOT OUR ENEMIES.  I'm sure you know this already.  

The enemy is group mentality.  

Racism, racial discrimination, racist violence, racial profiling, bigotry - these are all different ways of saying "group mentality".  And it's not just about race.  Everybody has some group mentality. 

White people often come with group mentality, and when they do, they are our enemies.  Group mentality is vicious. 

Go here to read what Spike has to say. 

Please leave your comments below and please share this with your networks. Thanks.

Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice

Ida B. Wells was a woman of extraordinary talents, energy and vision. In an age when there were no computers, no internet, no Facebook, no fax machines, no text messaging, Ida B. Wells influenced many thousands of people. At a time when women did not even have the vote, Ida B. Wells had a huge influence on public policy. 

Click here to read my review of Ida B. Wells:  A Passion for Justice.  

Bill Greaves is one of the filmmakers featured in Celebrating Black Independent Film Pioneers at the Schomburg.  For details of this and other Black History Month events, see:  Black History/Cultural Events.  See also:  Black Museums.  

Spike Lee, African American Filmmaker Entrepreneur

Spike Lee is a filmmaking genius and undisputed trailblazer. He changed the face of Hollywood. 

And when Lee had trouble getting the studio to fund his Malcolm X film, he raised money from prominent members of the Black community. 

Click here to read more about Spike Lee. Plus check out his Black History Month Quote of the Day. 

Click here for more about Black business success.