Revolution is Global

Mangrove by Kathia Woods

Black people are global. That is the beauty of us; however, with that saying also comes trauma, meaning that racism is a worldwide epidemic and Black Trauma isn't something that was just experienced in North America. Mangrove introduces us to Mangrove 9. 

A Story that I am sad to say I wasn't familiar with but thanks to the brilliant Steve McQueen, the world finally gets to know these heroes. 

Police vs. Community is also an issue that's prevalent in the UK. A group of activists, mainly from a Trinidadian background living in England, makes up our revolutionaries in this story. The British conquered the Caribbean and parts of Africa. Many of these nations were engulfed in the Empire. After World War 2, there was a whole in the workforce, mostly laborers. Many immigrants from those Caribbean nations migrated to England under the guise of better opportunities and work. The part that wasn't inscribed in the travel brochure was that they would be met with hatred, a hatred that would be carried out in the form of the Metropolitan Police. Those were the circumstances that our heroes found themselves in this telling of the Mangrove 9.

The center of this chaos was a restaurant called the Mangrove in Notting Hill. The restaurant was a meeting place for intellectuals, activists, or immigrants to get a piece of home. The restaurant was also at the center of police raids and harassment. 

What makes this film so compelling is that we know these people, and this story seems so familiar, especially in 2020. The film takes place in 1968. Constable Pulley, portrayed by Sam Spruell, is the leading menace. He resents these strangers owning businesses and settling in England. This is not Julia Robert's Notting Hill; this is Black London.

The first half of the film introduces us to the major players. People like Frank Crichlow played by the amazing (Shaun Parkes). He's a hustler who opened a restaurant to cater to his Community. Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby )is a Trinidadian immigrant who came to England to study law and got involved in the Black British Panther movement. Barbara Beese (Rochenda Sandall), also a member of the Black Panther Party and Howe's partner, is very vocal about the unrest occurring in their Community.

Altheia Jones-LeCointe portrayed brilliantly by Letitia Wright, another member of the British Black Panther Party and university student, rounds out these prominent activists.

All of the above played a vital part in the Black British movement, and Mc Queen does a brilliant job in not just making them revolutionaries but showing us their internal struggles as they were fighting for their survival. It's imperative to point out that Mangrove wasn't just a center to exchange political ideas, but it was the Community's hub. It was also very Trinidadian. In works such as this by non-black directors, cultures are often blended, and dialogue spewed about freely. Mangrove does none of the above. The accents are precise to that region. The food as well as ambiance accurate. We also see the escalation of the harassment and resentment by Pulley towards that specific group of people. All of the events give the audience a better understanding of why they chose to fight back and, more importantly, the struggle's risks.

The court scenes in Mangrove are some of the best I have seen on film. I didn't feel like I was a spectator but an active participant. McQueen not only played out via dialogue the unfairness of the proceedings but visually drew you into their internal struggles. It's in those private conversations that we get to see Leticia draw you in. In the scene where she explains to Frank why she's fighting, you can't help but tear up. It felt as if Altheia was speaking for every Black woman that has ever stood at the crossroads of life. She wasn't trying to be a heroine but make a way for the next generation. Mangrove reminds us that long before Black Lives Matter, there were a group of people fighting. The sad part is that in 2020 we are still fighting the same battles; however, like the Mangrove 9 or our ancestors before them, we have to remind ourselves that this is a marathon and while it's tiring, giving up is never an option. Steve McQueen is giving us an essential Black Story, a story I hope inspires more of us to learn who these heroes are but, even more importantly, encourage us to get involved. Mangrove occurred in Notting Hill in 1968, but 2020 taught us that the fight is far from over.