I was thinking of a movie I grew up with, ‘Imitation of Life’. That movie made me cry every time I saw it. If you haven’t seen it, it was a story about two women raising their children. The white mother had a daughter with blonde hair and blue eyes and the black mother had a daughter that had brown hair and brown eyes. But if you didn’t know her mother was black you would think she was white. The sadness starts when it becomes clear Sara Jane (the daughter of Annie) hates the fact she has a black mother. Truth be told the movie was really focused on Sara Jane and Annie. It focused on the resistance Sara Jane had towards being classified as black. Every chance she got she rejected her true identity, which was being a black woman that looked white.

That’s one reason why I don’t think of people as a color because genes determine what we look like. A black woman could have a child with light eyes or straight hair. It all depends on the genes. That’s why I didn’t and still don’t understand why race is such a big issue. Everyone’s the same, we just look different. But I have to say, I do understand why it became such a big issue back then. People made it that way. From then to now we’re having the same issues and it all boils down to power and acceptance. That’s why  Sara Jane struggled with her identity and why so many others lived a life similar to the one she tried to live. All because of acceptance and not wanting to go through what darker skin blacks had to endure i.e. the one’s that couldn’t pass.

The relationship between Annie and Sara Jane took me for a ride. There was never a time Sara Jane looked happy around her mother. Even though Annie was the best all around, Sara Jane was never happy. I’m sure it had plenty to do with her thoughts about the limitations that would be placed on her because of her classification. Time after time she ran away, lied, and denied her identity.  But there came a time when she lost what really meant most to her. That thing wasn’t really a thing at all. It was the person that loved her more than anyone else in this world, her mother. It wasn’t until then, she realized the era of her ways, but by then it was too late. Her mother was gone and she lost the chance to be the type of daughter her mother deserved. 

I guess you could say I chose to write about this movie because it seems like we’re reverting back to the way this country use to be. A lot of people think that it’s a good thing. I’m sure it’s not everyone but the number of people with this backwards thinking is growing. Like it or not, we all came from the same place. We maybe different but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t connected. So if your the type of person that believes someone isn’t on your level because of their race; I’m sorry to inform you honey, the only difference between you and them is the amount of melanin in your skin. But underneath, you both are the same. So learn to love your brothers and sisters because like I said, we’re all connected. There’s no need to hate or spread chaos and dismay because you want to remain in power or for the sake of ignorance. My answer to curing ignorance, is to expand your mind and open your heart to people that don’t look like you. You never know how knowing them may bless your life.

Photos Provided By: https://eng3122.wordpress.com/group-5-main/1954-to-1959/conflict-with-authority-manifested-in-imitation-of-life-1959/, https://bobcb518.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/dear-movies-please-stop-making-me-cry/, https://drafthouse.com/show/free-victory-screening-imitation-of-life-1959, http://www.brattleblog.brattlefilm.org/2015/08/07/imitation-of-life-supplemental-reading-3129/, http://movielistsman.com/10-classic-movies-may-enjoy/