

Courtesy of the Criterion Collection.įor that reason, this list is actually two lists.
#Surviving the aftermath burner full
What alarms me is that so many of us should turn to it at a moment such as this, when the streets are full of rage, when jails nationwide have been full of people exercising their first amendment rights, when Black people are facing the can’t-win double bind of both a high-risk pandemic and the high-risk fact of being Black.įrom Camille Billops and James Hatch’s Suzanne, Suzanne. I don’t care, in the abstract, about people watching The Help. Let’s mine them-instead of indulging ourselves with unilluminating fantasies like The Help. Black defiance (including but not limited to outright protest), Black anger, Black art: These are vast territories. But more urgently because the film gives us something to do with our anger: It gives that inner fire an explosive, galvanizing form and voice.īlack defiance onscreen is bigger than Do the Right Thing, however. Yes, because its subject remains so immediate to our times (down to the encroaching threat of the summer’s inevitable heat waves).
#Surviving the aftermath burner movie
But Spike Lee’s 1989 barn burner of a movie unmistakably scratches an itch befitting the moment. And they span a vast range of time-from 1898, a silent era, to 2019, an extremely loud one-and place.

They differ in style and temperament and subject matter, sometimes even in their sympathies and politics. Most of the films that follow have little in common with Do the Right Thing, however. I was blessed to have total support, and I know this isn’t always the case.If the following list can be boiled down to any one theme, it is, to be algorithmic about it: “Since you watched Do the Right Thing.” I have such compassion for anyone faced with such life-changing news, especially those who might lack the support and care of loved ones and without the support and understanding of their employer. I will never be shy about my journey and will offer my new knowledge to assist and support others through uncertain times such as this. It is my goal to be informed enough to take better care of myself, to encourage others to have regular mammograms, know your body and seek medical attention whenever something just doesn’t feel right. Never again will I place my health on the back burner. The staff at both facilities were warm, friendly and genuinely cared about my healing and well-being. It all began with the appointment in November 2010, and within 10 months I had chemotherapy treatments, two surgeries and radiation treatments. The medical team reminded us repeatedly that it was an aggressive form (that’s scary). We learned as much as we could about this particular diagnosis. I had an overload of information followed by bone scans, ultrasounds and a wide variety of other tests. My first visit included the surgeon who diagnosed me, a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist and others. They were my leaning post through this mission. I leaned on my husband, siblings, nieces and nephew, bonus children and daughter-in-law, good friends, in-laws, my supportive manager, a couple of co-workers and caring neighbors for their advocacy and support. My husband, Ed, and I solicited our pastor and church family for support. I could barely concentrate: Our family had just lost our oldest brother this same year to a nasty form of cancer we lost my 17-year-old son years prior and our parents were no longer living. I was in a state of shock, but I needed to follow the given treatment plan to the very letter. When I received the diagnosis of breast cancer from a surgeon an hour after the biopsy, I knew I had to face this fear with dignity and courage. I took her seriously and got right on it. I could tell by the insistence in her voice this wasn’t to be taken lightly. My new general practitioner found the lump and provided me with orders for a diagnostic mammogram.

I was 48 and felt I was in good enough health that I didn’t really need to see a doctor (ignoring a few very minor signs that would prove otherwise). My 10-month-long journey began with a routine physical exam in November 2010, which I delayed so many times.
