(ThyBlackMan.com) This week, I noticed that Idris Elba’s new film, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” is set to be released. I am going to see this film, and I am going to like it. I don’t care how good the cinematography is, or how well the script has been written. I’ve just pre-committed myself to being loyal to both the project and the actor.
Idris Elba happens to be a part of my brother’s speaker’s bureau, “Great Black Speakers,” so I’ve followed his career since he was on “The Wire.” I’ve always been impressed with the way he has clearly stated that his job as an actor is to play characters designed to uplift the psyches of his people, and not to simply chase the money like a two dollar buffoon. I respect him.
I also appreciate the subject of the film, Nelson Mandela, because he is one of the few public figures who gives black people permission to be principled and courageous. When facing the horrors or apartheid, Mandela advocated for the rights of South Africans to defend themselves, using violence if necessary. There was no dignity in quietly suffering or complaining under your breath. Even after serving 27-years in prison for standing up for his people, Mandela held onto his quest for equality.
As a result of Nelson Mandela’s sacrifice, South Africa is a changed nation. None of this would have occurred had he settled for quietly serving 50 years as someone’s butler or maid.
The point here is that we must clearly distinguish between the implicit messages being sent by films like Mandela vs. films like “The Help,” “The Butler” or “42.” The former sends a message of conscientiousness, spiritual strength and the willingness to fight for a better reality. The latter sends a message that celebrates passivity, conformity and self-preservation. We applaud Nelson Mandela because he was willing to fight and die for a cause that might not benefit him directly. We applaud “The Butler” and Jackie Robinson because they were willing to suffer in order to avoid making trouble.
This does not say that one doesn’t have to be strong in order to endure the ordeals experienced by men like Jackie Robinson, who were spat on, threatened and attacked just for being black. We know that there is strength in suffering quietly, when everything inside of you wants to fight back. But what we must ask ourselves is this: What’s the value in fighting for your survival if you’re merely maintaining a miserable existence?
We must remember the difference between staying alive and truly living. The maids, butlers, and Jackie Robinsons were survivors. It was their ability to overlook stressful oppression and turn the other cheek which helped them to survive conditions that were nothing short of horrific. But with this “survival” comes the abuse, addiction and depression created by trying to maintain your dignity in a world that keeps you in the bowels of society. There is a point, in fact, where the world in which you live isn’t that much better than death.
Nelson Mandela, in my humble opinion, was a man who gave oppressed people another choice. He reminded us that there is a difference between simply surviving and having life worth living. The Mexican revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata once said, “I would rather die on my feet than to live on my knees.” This would imply that sometimes, your ability to survive in dismal conditions, while thus allowing your fear to keep you from seeking a better life for your children, is not always as admirable as we might think. So, we can applaud those who suffered as maids and butlers for decades at a time, but we should think twice before using these models as templates for our own existence.
This is not to say that movies about Butlers, Maids, etc. don’t have some degree of historical value. But it does say that if all of us are simply trying to get along without causing trouble, then we are submitting to racism rather than fighting it. In fact, some would say that we are cowards who are unwilling to sacrifice to create a better world for future generations. It is because we remain so fearful and unable to stand up for ourselves today that black Americans continue to be bullied in the workplace, in the street, and in the court of law. Others can tell if you are spiritually weak and unfocused.
We should all study the life of Nelson Mandela to learn that there is a better way to live. Everything that makes us angry about racism continues to infect our lives because we are choosing to ALLOW IT. We can’t keep watching movies about maids and butlers forever, and there is a point where you have to stand up to the bully and fight back. Keeping yourself alive means nothing if deep inside, you are already spiritually dead.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.