Shot at the Subway
In Holloway’s book, she
conceptualizes the idea of “black death”. Black death is the encapsulation of
African American’s shared experiences of dying. Holloway explores the practices
of black death, including black funeral homes and undertakers. She examines how
black death occurs and where it is culturally placed. Then she studies stories
of individuals that help her understand how black death is approached in history.
In particular, within the second chapter, she explores the post-death
resilience of black people. Holloway explains how post-death culture focused on
these deaths, “African American cultural practices – music, literature, and
visual arts – all used the facts of black death and dying as their subject”
(60-61). This capture of “black melancholy” (61) was a form of memory and
healing.
My clip is of the 2013 Ryan Coogler
film, “Fruitvale Station”. “Fruitvale” tells the true story of Oscar Grant, a
formerly imprisoned man, trying to stay clean. His life was taken from him on
New Year’s Eve in 2009, when he was shot by a cop at a platform of a Subway
Station. This film and clip encapsulate several features of what Holloway means
by Black Death. This was one of the first modern day, televised instances of
unarmed, innocent black people shot by white cops. Holloway describes black
death as a common experience, and unfortunately, this is a situation that is
reality for many black folk today. She also describes black death as something
that is often at the hands of violent white injustice. I feel that today the
capture of black melancholy that Holloway describes serves the purpose of
justice and education. The cop who shot Grant, though found guilty of
involuntary manslaughter, was acquitted of second-degree murder and voluntary
manslaughter. Though this film definitely features black death as its subject,
it simultaneously serves the purpose to “wake up” its (white) audience, and
fight for justice.
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