‘Blood Done Sign my Name’ brings Black History to light
Photo by Timothy Ramsey Terrance Hawkins, far left, sits with the other panelists as they discuss the film
By Timothy Ramsey
The Chronicle
The Drum Majors Alliance founded by Terrence and Allonda Hawkins held a special Black History Month showing of the film “Blood Done Sign my Name” at Kennedy High School last Saturday. The film was followed by a panel discussion that spoke about the film and other themes related to African-American history.
The Drum Majors Alliance seeks to do justice, love mercy and walk in humble submission to and reflection of Jesus of Nazareth. Their mission is to equip, organize and mobilize disciples of Jesus to be drum majors for justice in the world and reconciliation in the Church.
The film is based on a true story that took place in Oxford, North Carolina, in 1970 where a black man was beaten and killed by three white men. The man who pulled the trigger was subsequently found not guilty by an all white jury. The plot focuses on two men; an African-American high school teacher that organizes the black community to fight the unjust verdict and a white minister who loses much of his congregation and eventually run out of town for his liberal views during the civil rights era.
Terrance Hawkins says they decided to show the film during this time of year is because it hits close to home due to our proximity to where the incident in the film took place.
“With all of the relevant themes in the movie, we just said lets do this and hoped some people would come out and watch it and embed something in their hearts,” Hawkins said. “I think we can point to many great signs of progress but we can also point to many signs of this oppression shown in the movie still living on.”
Hawkins went on to talk about how some of the themes in the movie are still prevalent in today’s time. He thinks we still have a way to go.
“Its almost like we are in the best of times and the worst of times,” he continued. “For some upper middle-class educated black folks, they have unprecedented levels of access, such as being in the White House. At the same time we have mass incarceration, the resegregation of our schools and educational inequality.”
Hawkins says he wanted people to see themselves as a part of the story shown in the movie. He felt as though if they did they may be inspired from the main characters in the film and say “I’m going to play my role and it will be on the side of resistance and not capitulate to the status quo.”
