SET IT OFF

I would like to jump-off this analysis by saying 🗣 middle finger to the Oscars for failing to notice the perfect, immortal impeccable body of work the world knows as 'Set It Off.' Directed by Gary Gray, written by Kate Lanier and Takashi Bufford, this film will always hold a place in our hearts. To the black community, 'Set it Off' is a monumental treasure with arguably one of the best soundtracks in history. Today, it will receive the proper praise. 

Poverty often brings out the worst in us. After the civil war, the land and slaves of white southerners were in jeopardy. Without natural resources and free labor, the conquered crusader was sure to meet his end. With no political power or favor from his superiors, the defeated and disfranchised did what all desperate folk do, resorted to crime. Thus, the KKK was born. The terror created from their malicious attacks is what eventually brought wealth and power back to the south. The world does a great job of understanding and accepting their motives and actions, but empathy is rarely shown when it comes to the disfranchised black criminal in America. 

Without a doubt, African Americans are the most excluded group in this country. For 400 years, we've borne the cross, being denied every tool needed to build a solid foundation. For generations, survival was the only objective for many of us. This was the case for our female mercenaries. 

From the very start of this classic cinema, you witness the central role stereotypes play in our culture. Stevie (dramatized by the alluring Vivica A. Fox) is a hard-working woman who counted 250,000 with her bare hands for her employer a day before her misfortune. Yet, after suffering from the traumatizing experience of being robbed and witnessing a murder right before her eyes, she is treated as an accessory to the crime because the bandits grew up in the same projects as she. The lack of compassion is highlighted when Stevie disdainfully says, "you didn't even see if I was thirsty sista" to the black female officer. Surely there an insufficient amount of comity available for the black woman. 

Somehow, we perpetually find the strength to continue on this tedious journey. After the loss of both parents to a fatal car accident, Stormy (elegantly played by Jada Pickett Smith) gracefully took on the role of providing for her little brother(the young Chaz Lamar Shepherd). She lived for him, cleaned toilets every night for him in hopes that he would one day venture off to college. When he didn't receive the scholarship they needed, she sacrificed her body for him. 

Our electronic devices are subconsciously programming our minds; this is how most stereotypes are created. Some folks think all black people are identical. That must have been the circumstance for the cops that executed Stormy's brother after he was mistaken as one of the other robbers. How many times has this story played out? Ava Duvernay's 'When They See Us' enraged us all last year as we dove deeper into the events that led to the lawless conviction of 5 black boys whose only "crime" was the color of their skin. It was apparent that any black man that arrived in the precinct that day was destined for prison. 

These tragedies leave us broken and enraged. At our best efforts, we still tend to fall short. The dilemma Tisean (acted out by the timeless Kimberly Ellis) faced was one that made you feel as if this system is designed for us to fail. She was a full-time janitor and mother who couldn't afford daycare for her child. Desperate for a solution, she asked her discourteous, profane employer to pay her under the table so the money taken out by taxes could go towards child care. When he refused, she was compelled to bring her child to work with her. This resulted in him getting poisoned and, consequently, taking away from her until she could afford childcare. 

It is sickening to know that millions of people eternally perform full-time jobs and still can't manage the necessities. We all witnessed how significant the janitor is during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, many essential workers are struggling to put food on the table despite their never-ending labor. A friend of mine, who happens to work for CPA, explained to me that there are procedures to help women get through these hardships. I was grateful to hear it, but help is not enough for me anymore. These problems exist because of greed and exploitation. Waiters are legally paid 2.50 an hour and have to rely on clientele' generosity to keep the lights on. While in court a few years back, I witnessed a young man answering to the judge about his failure to obtain auto insurance. He elucidated his occupation at McDonald's, how the majority of his check was spent before he got it, how he couldn't afford insurance. The average person may say, "get a better job," but why does he need a better job to afford insurance? In this country, is it not a necessity if operating a vehicle? A more lucrative career should befall upon the ambitious who desire the luxuries in life. Nowadays, due to inflation and profiteering, you need two-income households to sustain. 

In Bob Marley's' Exodus,' one of the lines that always struck me was, "We the generation, trod through great tribulation." What do you say to the child born in chaos? Our ancestors were slaves, and if you have a sibling in prison, you still have an intimate relationship with captivity. Being raised in these environments can damper your ambitions; this is why I resonated so well with Queens Latifah's role as the infamous Cleo; I've known her my entire life. 

When the world's nearsighted vision detected a criminal, a "bad" person, I saw the sweetheart who helped her friends escape their harsh reality if only for a second as they floated on the nostalgic roof of their adolescence. I see a loving, compassionate person who got wrapped up in the system and didn't know what else to do. Once the system seizes your soul, it's unforgiving grip only gets tighter as life goes on. With a criminal record, your life is minimal. The hood had taken such a toll on Cleo; she couldn't see herself outside of it. Yet, she found joy in her everyday life, with dreams of fixing up her old school and shitting on everybody that counted her out, she was content with Hood love. 

Robbing those banks was about more than money; they were finally fighting back, battling a system of oppression that has failed in creating an opportunity for people like us for centuries. They knew no one was coming to save them. I honor these women, and I'm not ashamed of it. The same way America marks known crusaders and murders and celebrate them every year, I celebrate the four brave warriors who spared with the devil himself. 

I've been fortunate in my life; I've had opportunities that my peers have not, the knowledge that I've gained over the years only made me more compassionate for my people. I love our black women in the way Keith (performed by the dashing Blair Underwood) loved Stormy, and I will continue to love and fight for them until my dying days.