Yesterday, my wife took me out to see Queen & Slim for my born day. It was a great experience. The movie was engaging from beginning to end and it spoke to many of the issues that we as black people face here in America. It was so raw and real to the black experience that it felt like a semi-documentary.
I constantly found myself nodding my head, as I have experienced many of the same events and feelings of the characters in the movie. And as the movie was ending, it made me so emotional I almost cried, and it took my wife a good 5 minutes to process what she had saw.
After it was over, we walked over to a restaurant and discussed the movie for dinner. She gave me her perspective and I gave her mines. As always, I took a lot of mental notes and I wanted to share some of those with you here.
Fear of The Police
In case you haven’t seen the preview for Queen & Slim, it’s about a black couple who go on a first date, and get pulled over by a white cop that they end up having to kill him in order to save their own lives. This is how the movie begins.
The opening scene spoke to me heavily because when I was younger I had countless run-ins with the law, where I’d be pulled over for one thing and the next thang I know I’m being forced out the car, guns pulled on me, handcuffed, and in some cases, arrested. For this reason, I’ve always had this strong paranoia that takes over my body whenever I see police cars behind me. The feeling that if I get pulled over, I may not make it back home, has always made me nervous at the fact that I might have to kill one to save myself; just like Queen & Slim did.
But this experience is not just mines. Over the years, I’ve talked to many different dudes from the street realm to the corporate world who also have had similar experiences or worse than mines. And they all feel pretty much the same, either nervous or traumatized by the reality that they might find themselves having to kill a cop just to live or to avoid being falsely accused of something they didn’t do.
It’s odd having to contemplate will I live or die when blue lights stop you. But this is the reality that many of us live in; both men and women.
Never Feeling Free
As the film goes forward, and Queen & Slim travel across the country on their quest for freedom, they meet and interact with many other black folks who surprisingly see them as their heroes.
Watching these interactions on screen, allowed me to see how bound we as people feel on the inside. Here in America, we have to endure so much subliminal systematic racism, on top of having to fulfill the normal day to day obligations as everyone else, that we often still feel enslaved. So when we see others who are forced to do something courageous that breaks them from this system, we root for them to win because we know if they attain freedom, then maybe we can too.
Like the black cop who turned a blind eye to the runaway couple… Like the mechanic who fixed their car for them… Like Slim’s Dad who refused to snitch on his son… Like Queen’s uncle who gave them a car… Like the uncle’s girlfriends who changed their hair… Like the little boy who bought them some food… We help others get the freedom we desire to have ourselves.
This is what we’ve always done. Malcolm X. Asatta Shakur. Pete O’neal. Nehada Abiodun. Ben Ammi. And many more were all helped by others because they represented us.
The Necessity of Black Love
As the film progresses, it turns into a black love story, where Queen & Slim find healing and strength in each other.
In an age where everyone is promoting interracial this and interracial that, it felt so good to see black love on the big screen again. Not only was it good for the eyes, but also for the soul. I’ve said it countless times over the years on my blogs and writings, that black love is the only love that can empower us. It’s how we got here, it’s what keeps us going, and it’s how we will remain here. And Queen & Slim showcased that in every way.
Like many black couples, Queen & Slim meet each other with their internal baggage of open wounds from childhood and adulthood. And like most of us, they are unable to see the issues they have, until they are revealed through each other. In the midst of the constant trials they are forced to endure along their journey, they develop a bond that is so tight with love that it gives each the strength to keep pulling forward toward freedom.
To me, that’s what black love does — it inspires you to become greater than the person you were before. This way, both parties benefit from each other’s growth.
Final Thoughts
I could go on and on with the deep messages within this movie, but I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet. In my opinion, Queen & Slim is probably the best movie I have seen all year. I haven’t felt this proud of a black film in years. So I encourage all of you who haven’t seen it, to go and do so.
If nothing else, the film will help you see that at the end of the day, all we really want is to be free. And whether we achieve it in this lifetime or not, the fight is worth it.
Peace & Love! I am Mo’Reese Madu, blogger, screenwriter, and author of 
When do BlackMen start demanding ReSegregation, so when can police, raise and oversee our own communals, families, futures. Assimilation was all a ‘con’ to control, manipulate, control the success levels of their newfound, Afrikan stolen/enslaved “game.” For all their crying about what Blacks do and how we exist in the EweSA, they never mention how they burned businesses, communities, used threats, even murders to force our interrelations with them. Non-Blacks would have, or be nothing without UnReparated, revenue Blacks are deserved of. Instead, the EweSA, reparates the world with Afrikan/Black, serfdom owed revenue. In essence, the EweSA runs on blood money. Garveyism, or suffer the consequences!
Yes I was a little apprehensive at first to go see it; but My Son kept seeing the reviews and said He wanted to see it so I did not want Him to go by Himself so I went along with Him to see it. I had vowed I was not going to the theater to see any more Black Slave Movies after seeing The Birth of a Nation which all I could do was cry after I heard what they did with His Body!!!
The part that saddened me was the fact that our own person turned them in for money; He betrayed them and made them think He was all for them; all the time betraying them!!! I have experienced this kind of betrayal also from my extended family and other Black people that I trusted; and this saddens me tremendously!!! That is why we have so much jealousy in the Black community; We are hating on each other because of clout and money; and like you said in one of your articles it is the House Negro; Field Negro Mentality from Slavery that is haunting us Forever!!!
Yeah the sell out at the end was surprising. I didn’t want the movie to end like that, but it was real cause that’s how (some) of our people are. The system knows our struggles so they entice us with money to sell each other out and we take the bait every time. This has been going on since slavery. That’s why i always say… unless you have a code of ethics that live by no matter what, you will always be subject to sell your people out for a come up.
I feel you brotha!
Sounds really interesting,definitely
one to watch thank you..
Hello Mo’Reese: I am awaiting your article on transitioning Spirits and where they are if you do not Believe in the Bible!!! My Husband transitioned so I am curious on what your opinions are of Deceased Loved Ones!!! And where they are located!!! This is weary on My Spirit!!!
Hey Karen! I’m a busy man. I’m a full-time homeschooler and entrepreneur with family I have to take care of. And I do not get paid to write blog articles. So if you would like me to take extra time out of my days to speed up the process of writing something for you, it would be respectful if you would offer compensation for my time. Otherwise, you will have to wait like everyone else. Peace & Love!
WOW!!! Seems a little arrogant to me to come at me sideways like that!!! I had no idea of your Family Situation!!! I do not know If I will listen now; because I thought this was your Job!!! Sorry for the misunderstanding!!! This is why I feel this way about our People because They most of the time are Sideways in Attitude!!!! This is a turn-off for me!!! I liked your information on informing me; but I did not know I was speeding up the process!!!! My feelings are Hurt!!! LOL!!! Peace and Shalom!!!
Hey Karen. No need to get offended. I didn’t come at you sideways. I was simply letting you know how busy I am since you were rushing me to complete an article for you. I’ll still get to it, when the time allows. But right now, I’m busy with other things. Peace & Love!
OK!!!! Thank you for your information!!!!
Peace and Shalom!!! You took it that way that I was rushing you; I was just eager I guess!!!! Sorry if it came off that way!!!! But WE can be extra sensitive at times and be very misunderstood Even by our OWN!!!!
What the Brother is saying is true. Blacks helping each other to each the freedom we want for ourselves. That’s Absolutely True. Truth be told, The help Queen and Slim received from numerous brothers and sisters is really the story of black people in this country. Black Folks will always help, assist, and protect one another from the clutches of White violence and savagery anytime when they are not under the watchful eye of white supremacy. Free Blacks during slavery would provide refuge for runaway slaves and help get them to freedom and safety which was what the Underground Railroad was all about. Many Black Entrepreneurs also used their wealth to buy Freedom for other blacks including their own family members during the last few decades of slavery. Black Entrepreneurs continue even to this very day are financing so many meaningful causes in the black community and they are literally paying it forward every single day. Countless black male and female entrepreneurs are doing it all day, everyday, you’ll never hear about it because they ain’t advertising and running their mouths all day. This movie Queen & Slim really highlighted the Strength, Solidarity, Resilience, and Unity of Black people in this country. It’s a sense of connectedness and unification we have with each other that no Slave master, Racist Cop, White Supremacist Vigilante, or White Politician could ever break no matter what they’ve done or still do. BLACK LOVE WAS AMPLIFIED TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE IN THIS FILM. THAT’S A FACT.