Thoughts after watching "Birth of a Nation"

"Blackness is always assumed to be the problem"

     -Drew Hart in "The Trouble I've Already Seen"

Matthew 25:40

 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.  NIV

Today, Amelia and I went to see the movie "Birth of a Nation" based upon the life of Nat Turner.  Nat Turner was born at the turn of the 19th century as a slave in Virginia.  He would lead a violent insurrection that led to the death of 55 Whites, mostly slave owners and their families.  Local government and Slave owner families responded with violent reprisals against hundreds of slave and Free Black men, women, and children.  The insurrection created a ripple effect where laws and processes were enacted that severely limited the ability to Blacks to congregate, read, or preach.  In fact, one could say that a fear-based legal and social culture was promoted, in which has extended today.

 The original "Birth of a Nation" was written nearly a century later and was the story of Klansmen protecting innocent White families, particularly women, from the out of control Black men, bent on pillaging and raping.    It was a over-the-top piece of propaganda that continued to promote fear of Blacks for everything from gun laws and drug regulation. 

In Jame Loewen's book, "Lies My teacher Told me", he points to the fact that American history has consistently described Nat Turner as a psychotic mass murderer.  That is basically untrue but his story is significantly more nuanced and deep.  Part of the power of the movie is the revelation of truth based upon his own words and modern scholarship.  What we find is a well written, powerfully filmed movie that is incredibly painful to watch.

I would suggest Birth of a Nation with a couple of observations:

1. Theologically, Nat Turner is the classic "prophet".  Called in the midst of a idolatrous church, he is called by God to speak truth.  Interestingly, He constantly is given opportunities to preach to other Slaves but only to use Biblical texts that "help slaves" to be obedient and hard working for the slaveowners.  He, like Biblical prophets must struggle with the message of God versus the message of man and culture.  He receives visions and at one point is encouraged by his wife using a exhortation that sounded just like Nehemiah's charge to the people rebuilding the wall.

2. Like recent prophets, such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who struggled against the tyranny of Adolf Hitler who co-oped the German National Church, Nat Turner struggled with the use of violence.  He was not an activist, but clearly felt his call was to be the arm of vengeance, wrath, and justice for who served under cruelty of American Slavery.  

3. Slave owners often were blind to their viciousness and the pain, suffering, and destruction that slavery wrought. Part of the cultural delusion of White Supremacy is that Blacks were better off in slavery and that slavery was actually doing them a favor.  Birth of a Nation brings this forward brilliantly.  Part of that myth continues to day, where Blacks are considered inferior in almost every way.

4. The issue of powerlessness and gender differences in experiences in slavery is important.  The inability to protect oneself and family led to a brewing, seething anger and a cultural anxiety that is reflected to this day.  Manhood and womanhood, and personhood were all demeaned and that takes a toll.

In the end, I would recommend Birth of Nation.  Nat Turner is not perfect, nor am I interested in revisionist propaganda. I am not advocating a bloody insurrection to reconcile injustice.  However, his story is incredibly important to understand American history and cultural history.  As a person of faith, the themes of Biblical justice, forgiveness, long-suffering, revelation, and the providence of God are illustrated and require reflection and application for today. 

May God bless you