i joined the masses this weekend and saw American Gangster on saturday night. the theater was packed. the 8:00 showing was sold out, so we bought tickets for the 9:00, and when we showed up at 8:30, the line to get in was already stretched around the lobby. when we left the movie at 11:45, the line for the midnight showing was just as long.

the film was brilliant. i found it interesting that frank lucas, portrayed by denzel washington, focused almost solely on family values, loyalty, and community. the cop investigating him, portrayed by russell crowe, was a guy who couldn't get his life together, betrayed his wife and son, yet pursued honesty in his work. quite a juxtaposition.

near the end of the movie, frank lucas opens up to the cop and said its always been about the white man taking what he has. he came from nothing, and out of that, he built something. he became the largest supplier of heroin in this country. i was tense. i was sitting in a packed theater, most of the other patrons there were african-american, and i wondered how many of them felt the same way. i wondered how this story would resolve where yet another "white man" arrested the "black criminal."

i live in a primarily african-american community, i attend a primarily african-american church. and i wondered a lot about the divide. i can't deny that race is a factor in my neighborhood. what does it mean to be Christ?

i think i am constantly learning.

posted by Kelly @ 2:21:00 PM