BlacKkKlansman: "White Power" vs "Black Power"

 BlacKkKlansman is easily my favorite film that we’ve watched so far.  The way Spike Lee tied past with the present was done brilliantly, especially considering racism in America is still prominent today.  I loved the political references in the movie, and the nods to the Black Panther Party from the 1960s.  One of my favorite aspects of this film is how the narratives of Flip and Ron gave two contrasting perspectives on how racism affects both groups of people.

The scene that stood out the most to me, was the cross cutting between the KKK initiation ceremony and the BSU meeting.  On one hand we see a group of people mourning, dressed in primarily dark clothing, and holding on to each other (emotionally & physically) like family.  While on the other hand, we see people celebrating, wearing all white robes, and bonding over a common belief.  The striking part is when the camera cut back-and-forth as Jerome Turner told the college students about the death of Jesse Washington and the horror of the release of The Birth of a Nation.  As soon as Jerome says that the movie “gave the Ku Klux Klan a rebirth,” the camera shows the Klan cheering and making fun of Black people as they watch The Birth of a Nation.  This is the fuel that Jerome is referring to.  He even talks about ex-President Woodrow Wilson acknowledging the film as well, in which the BSU students start gasping out of disgust.  They were mortified throughout the entire scene because for them, Jesse or the Black characters in the film could’ve been anyone in that room.

What I really liked was the “White power” vs “Black power” chants.  Both carry a ton of weight but also have two different meanings.  “White power” stands for white supremacy over BIPOC, while “Black power” is about unity and standing together to fight for the right to be treated as a human being, not for dominance over another race.  These same words translate today as “All Lives Matter” and “Black Lives Matter.”  I feel that BlacKkKlansman’s strength lies within its connections to the modern day, from the subtle and overt racism towards Black Americans, to the protests/uprisings led by hate groups.  Overall, I enjoyed this film and plan to watch it again with my friends.