I loved The Six Triple Eight. It’s an era that means a lot to me personally, partly because I wrote a book that takes place during that era and it’s really cool to think about what my protagonist was doing while all of these characters in the Six Triple Eight were doing their thing and I was like, oh, if only they could have met. I love that all of these black women from different backgrounds committed to serving this country that it’s trying to make life as difficult as possible for them, but they had belief in the dream of what America has been, could be all of those things. They were working the hardest to make America live up to its most beautiful potential despite all of the challenges that were put in front of them.
To see this phenomenal leadership coming from Kerry Washington’s role and knowing that it’s based on a real woman, you know?
I felt very inspired by it.
One bit I struggled with was was how technology wasn’t quite where I was hoping it would be in the plane scene. But aside from that, I thought it was just beautiful and I love that it was bringing up different kinds of allyships. I like Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune, there is a wonderful book called The First Ladies that talks about their allyship and how they helped each other, also their difficulties.
But guess what?
They continued to communicate and got through those difficulties for the greater good. The relationship between the young woman who was waiting for the letter from her boo and the young man was Jewish and just talk, touching on that relationship. Between the black and Jewish community. The relationships between the main women and the light-skinned woman who was told on the train, “Oh, you should be sitting in the white car.”
I have a side story about my great-great-grandmother being told she should sit in the white car too, but also her saying, “No, I’m here. I’m a black woman. These are my people.”
I thought it was really lovely storytelling that embraced so much of what was happening then. We need things now more than ever to look to help inspire courage.
Over my shoulder I have a picture of Marian Anderson, the opera singer who Eleanor Roosevelt was also a great fan of, and ally too. Did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt was a member of the NAACP and was a big person helping that stay strong and I think of that when I see what the NAACP is doing now to deal with the challenges that we’re currently facing anyway.
Yeah, I love that movie. I will watch it again.