Banished
Last night Male Offspring and I had the opportunity to go to a screening of the film, Banished - American Ethnic Cleansings. The film maker, Marco Williams, stayed to answer questions after the screening.
The film has been making the rounds of film festivals this year, and will be shown on PBS in January or February, 2008. It covers three (of many) communities in which the Black populations were forcibly expelled in the early 1900s, losing their homes and land. They were forced out with guns, bombs, fire, lynchings. Many of these communities remain White even today.
One family, including their 95-year-old matriarch, finds that the 38 acres of land once owned by their grandparents in Forsyth County, GA, is now a wealthy subdivision. Researching the deed history shows that there was never a deed of sale before the family was run out of town - other people took it afterward, by default, by illegal means. The people living on the land now, in $300,000 homes, believe they have purchased the land fair and square.
(When the Ex and I lived near Atlanta, we were told never to go to Forsyth County or Macon - that Black people "weren't allowed". That was in 1990.)
Another family attempts to recover a grandfather's remains from an unmarked grave in the all-White town of Pierce City, MO. The family had onced owned property in town, but was among those forced out by a mob of Whites who, with weapons from the local armory, fired on the homes of their Black neighbors.
The film maker also visits the all-white town of Harrison, Arkansas, where the confederate flag still flies. He interviews a pastor trying to take steps toward healing, as well as the head of the local KKK who considers himself a community leader.
Marco Williams was soft-spoken, thoughtful, and easy on the eyes. Hey, truth is truth, y'all. He said that before the actual filming started, he scouted out the towns on his own. I think he was brave as hell to do that as an African-American man, more so after seeing the footage. He admitted to being "terrified".
It was interesting how he used tangible means to tackle this subject - land. Property equals wealth. It is concrete, it appreciates in value, it can be passed on to our children. Over the course of time, it is how wealth is built. The land these families had worked for, when it was not easy for those of African descent to acquire land, was lost. Stolen.
The film raises the question, how different might the lives of the descendents be, had their families not lost their land - their wealth? They had to start over from scratch, often with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.
Mr. Williams has included some trailers for the film on his site, if you're interested. These aren't actually in the final version of the film, but it gives an idea.
The film doesn't offer concrete answers, but it does bring out some difficult questions about a part of our history that we are not taught.
23 comments:
I don't understand why some of the remaining families just don't get together and file a class-action lawsuit against the state for some restitution, like the victims of the Nazi regime suing the German government have done.
The first step would be acknowledgment that it happened, and an apology from the state governments. Of course since most of them have Rethuglican governors, we know THAT's not going to happen anytime soon. But it would be a good first step.
Their property was just illegally taken from them with the blessing of the state, who although may not have been active in the role of thief, certainly turned a blind eye to the whole atrocity.
Thanks for the Sunday morning outrage. It's good to get my blood boiling every now and again.
Yup, I live in Arkansas, and I grew up in a "segregated" town. It was simple, if you were white, you didn't go to the "black" part of town cause they would do horrid things to your body. Soon as I hit 18 I bolted, moved to the capital city, and haven't looked back. Racism is still alive here, and it pains me to no end. At least my kids and I are breaking the cycle.
It was interesting how he used tangible means to tackle this subject - land. Property equals wealth. It is concrete, it appreciates in value, it can be passed on to our children. Over the course of time, it is how wealth is built. The land these families had worked for, when it was not easy for those of African descent to acquire land, was lost. Stolen.
and taking that another step, in this nation, wealth = power and thus the theft of wealth ensures the lack of power.
i will watch my local indie theater for this. we are presently undergoing something of an "ethnic cleansing" in my state, due to a dreadful law being passed regarding the arresting of undocumented workers.
the law became active on thursday. the last two nights i have been awakened by the racing engines of police cars and the sound of helicopters circling overhead. half of the homes in east tulsa are empty. i can't wait until these racist motherfuckers in the oklahoma legislature deal with the loss of revenue the purging of thousands and thousands of individuals will create. it's the only thing they understand. well, one of two: money and race politics. bastards.
ok, i was going to comment but belle already made the point pretty well.
Power
I'll look out for it in our arthouse movie theaters. It would be a great thing to take my teens to, and a great way start a conversation with them about the different ways racism has expressed itself in our country, and still does.
Definitely want to catch this one. Thanks for bringing it up.
RG: I don't know a whole lot about that subject - a very complicated and sticky one - but there was a class action suit against corporations who directly took part in the slave trade, which was dismissed (2002 i think) due to statute of limitations. Later, parts of teh dismissal were overturned and sent back to the courts, based on the corporations' fraud of concealing their slave trade dealings. I think it's still in the courts.
Then there's difference between class-action, and those individuals (like in the film) who can actually trace and show direct links to particular land parcels, homes, etc. That concrete link, tangible things that have been taken and directly affected your family's wealth, I think, makes it very real, for anyone looking at it.
Kamrin: It's an ugly complicated history, that has led to a lot of mistrust, fear and resentment on both sides over the years.
Lynette: exactly. It's why there is such a chasm between those who feel everyone has an equal chance to pull ourselves up by those bootstraps, and those who say we're not starting from teh same point - my great-grands didn't have to start from scratch, they'd had advantages and opportunities that the black population didn't have, from home ownership to the areas they could buy in, to education and jobs. Like you say, the passing down of property and wealth is a big part of that.
People did bring up the connection to what's happening with the Latino population today, after the film.
CM: yeah, it's a good one.
Elizabeth: It will air on PBS, and Marco is finishing up a contract with California Media, whioch distributes a lot of non-mainstream things like that. I'd like to get it for the school district ...
KA: oh good, the film maker is really hoping it will get wider play and will be seen by lots of people.
I'll be looking for this on PBS come February.
Thanks for the tip!
ever see "Rosewood". i knew better. this sort of film makes me sick to my head and stomach for days and i can't watch. i feel like knowing what's involved is enough :( i hope other people see it though.
I'm with Monica. This kind of film makes me ache in places I didn't even know I had.
I'll watch the PBS listings... this sounds too well done to miss out on.
Craig & JP: yes, it was well-done -- gave a very human element to a difficult subject. I'll post the dates as I find out; I've seen different dates, which is why I was kind of vague about the airing.
Monica & Hat: I hear you. This film is a documentary style film, not a portrayal, as Rosewood style. I think there's a place for both, but yes, I think this type would be somewhat easier to take than one in the style of Rosewood. It's one that I think people across the spectrum can watch and get something out of, in part because of the film maker's style - this is a very straight forward film, but not with an in-your-face confrontational style. He puts the information out there, and leaves it to the viewer.
I will watch this too. This has been going on forever under the banner of religion as well. The catholic church being the biggest offender known to man. That was religious prejudice as opposed to blatant racism, but what an example to set...
I'm going to call the local theater and ask them to bring this film to their weekend documentary series. I'd prefer to pay to see important films...it brings more cash to the filmmaker and even limited advertising makes an impression.
I quit visiting my family in a small Arkansas town in the late 70's when I found out they had segregated supermarkets and my Aunt kept referring to her housekeeper as her "negra".
I'm still embarrassed to admit we're related.
Thanks for the info on this and yes...Marco is very easy on the eyes. Is he single?
I just want to retroactively bitch slap somebody!..I'll keep an out for this flick Belle.
Cowbell, do let us know in a mini-post when this will be shown on PBS, won't you? Be a dear.
This is going to be in Toronto the beginning of December. I'll definitely check it out.
Have you seen "Against Their will"? It's a similarly styled documentary on the very arbitrary and racist sterilization policy of 1950's North Carolina. Very good piece, though not at all pleasant to watch, realizing that just over fifty years ago reproductive decisions were made with impunity by several racist state agencies.
It blows my mind that there are still so many racists in the world. I probably shouldn't be surprised... what's that old saying... 'If assholes could fly there would be no sunlight'.
And yes, the film maker's pretty darn yummy.
Tater: isn't that the truth - religion is behind a lot of the conquering - and wars - isn't it?
Rodger: You know, I should update with a better pic, that one really doesn't capture it. Do a google image search - hotness. That's a great point about the theaters. Also, the people introducing him asked everyone to go to their local libraries and schools and request to have it in the collection.
Sling: "retroactively bitch-slap" hahaha-hoo-hoo-ha!
Red: Anything for you, sweetcheeks.
Al: Great - let me know what you think. No, I haven't seen "Against Their Will", but will look for it.
E: seriously, do a google image search. My pic doesn't do him justice, but I was excited to have snapped a pic of him. His demeanor really adds to his yumminess.
Love the "assholes flying" analogy. Sounds like something my dear dad would say.
In Canada we like to pretend that there is/was no such thing as racism. And we didn't talk about nor did we mention in our history classes about the black communities in South Western Ontario (created when slaves escaped via the Underground Railroad.) Nor did we talk about or mention their distruction because of people greedy for land. Nor did we talk or teach about Africville, an area of Halifax that had been a predominately black community since the 1800s. Its sad and disgraceful history is well set out in the Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africville . It was leveled in the 1960s because it was prime land ripe for development.
Recently these stories have come more to the forefront - documentaries on our CBC, Jazz recordings commemorating the live and times of the people, plays and entries in history books.
So much for our "lily white" moral superiority.
Willym: right - that whole "history is written by the victors" thing. Someone once said to me, "It's not fair to have African-American History classes - there's no such thing as White History classes!" Hello, that would be the plain old "History" that's taught in most American classrooms, all through a Eurocentric lens and filter. I didn't know any of that about Canada - thanks for the article link.
This looks like a movie not to miss.
Speaking of Macon, Ga, I lived there in the early 80s. Moved there from Orlando to attend college. What culture shock! The schools were still segregated, the "nigra's" knew their place. I tried to converse with some of the black folks who worked in the kitchen at the church I attended. They couldn't just have a conversation with me because I am white. Their responses sounded like slaves answering the master's visiting Aunt Java. They seemed offended that I would try to speak to them as an equal. Very weird.
And one of the really funny things concerning the racism in Maconga (as we like to call it): My husband and I were foster parents for a small adoption agency that had an office in town. We got newborns straight from the hospital and cared for them until they were adopted. Of course the blond blue eyed babies had homes waiting for them when they were born. We had a long series of black or biracial babies. It was so much fun to go out in public, me and my husband lilly white holding a beautiful chocolate baby. We got some strange looks. (That's another good idea for a blog post!)
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