Netflix's Shirley Movie Poster courtesy of Wikipedia
A Presidential Candidate for the People: Netflix's Biographical Drama Shirley Wins!
The Program on Negotiation Offers Resources on Conflict Resolution - Part 1
Courtesy of freestock.com
As this blog enters its seventh year (thank you readers), I decided to revisit my first blog topic Compassionate Disagreements from a different angle. Disagreements are often the precursors to conflicts. According to the Social Work Theories, offered by the Mary Livermore Library, "Conflict theory claims that society is in a perpetual conflict and competition for limited resources." Unresolved conflicts disrupt internal and external peace and often result in domestic and international violence. In an effort to make conflict resolution resources readily accessible, the Program on Negotiation, based at Harvard Law School, is "dedicated to improving the theory and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution." Let's discuss.....
The Hammonds House Museum: A Destination for Lovers of Visual Art
Atlanta, Georgia has a robust entertainment community. There are numerous museums, theaters, gardens, concert venues, sport events, etc. Join me as we visit these various sites. You may want to visit them yourself. Let's discuss....
Origin (Film): A Beautiful Biographical Film With Emotion, Suspense and Heart
Origin movie poster courtesy of Wikipedia
Origin is a 2023 film written and directed by Ava DuVernay, which is based on the life of Isabel Wilkerson as she writes her non-fiction book Caste: Origins of Our Discontents. Ms. Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, was asked by a publisher to write an article about the death of Trayvon Martin which would explore how racism played a major role in the incident. However, Ms. Wilkerson believed racism could not be the only reason. Why would a man of color, a Latino, pursue a black youth in an effort to protect a white neighborhood? Could there be other reasons beyond race? Wilkerson's quest to unearth answers to these questions took her on an adventure to locations in the United States, Germany and India. Her purpose was to find reasons for racial disharmony that goes beyond the simple answer of racism. Ms. Wilkerson's conclusion is that racism in the United States is a type of caste system. Let's discuss...
American Fiction (Film) Review - Get Ready to Laugh, Cry and Think
American Fiction movie poster courtesy of Wikipedia
American Fiction is a movie directed by Cord Jefferson, who also wrote the screenplay, which is based on the book Erasure by Percival Everett.
Per the MGM website,
"AMERICAN FICTION is Cord
Jefferson's hilarious directorial debut, which confronts our culture’s
obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. Jeffrey Wright stars
as Monk, a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting
from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove
his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own,
a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to
disdain."
Let's discuss....
The Hero's Journey of the Meek Female Archetype: The Color Purple Film (1985)
(Warning-this blog includes movie spoilers.)
Happy New Year 2024!
The Color Purple by Alice Walker was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983. The book is very popular, as well as controversial, and is the foundation for a dramatic film and musicals. I saw the 1985 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes, as a teenager. Recently, I saw the new 2023 musical film starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino. After watching the new film, I was inspired to take another look at the 1985 film, which is now a classic. Paraphrasing philosopher Heraclitus, No man, or woman, ever steps in the same river twice, for its not the same river and he, or she, is not the same person. As an adult, I have a different take of the story. I understand the critics who feel that the film has a negative portrayal of an African-American man, which is true. On the contrary, advocates believe that the film is not a reflection of all African-American men and is mainly a film about redemption and reconciliation, which is also true. Just like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, the meaning of a story is in the eyes of the viewer. The themes of The Color Purple (1985) include the consequences of economic deprivation on society and illustrates the hero's journey of the meek female archetype. Let's discuss....
A Must See Film: Two Distant Strangers by Travon Free
Two Distant Strangers is a 2020 Academy Award winning short
film written by Travon Free. As of June
2023, the film is streaming on Netflix. Even though the running time is only 32 minutes long, the short film tells a fully developed story and leaves a lasting
impact for days after viewing. Two Distant Strangers explores relatable themes about
power, free will, control, déjà vu, police brutality and racism. Why are these
types of stories important and need to be seen? In his article, How Stories Change the Brain, Paul Zak states “…stories are an effective way to transmit important
information and values from one individual community to the next.” Let’s discuss….
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