CHIRAQ was such an amazing film, and I’m so glad that I was able to start my Rose Scholars events this semester with such a great movie. Not only were the actors who had parts in the movie actors that I know, love, and appreciate, but Spike Lee is also one of my favorite directors, and the message that the plot delivered was fantastic. And it only made it that much better that all of these actors were singing half of their lines (side note: musicals are a great pastime of mine).

Although I live in the suburbs of Atlanta, and not quite the heart of the city, as a black woman myself, I related to this movie on a very deep level. Crime, police brutality, and social justice are very hot topics currently in the United States, and at times, I’ve felt hopeless about the plight of black people in regards to the way that we’re both portrayed and treated. So, the fact that this film took an old play and related it to the struggles of black individuals, thus addressing those very problems and setting women of color as the protagonists of the movie, really resonated with me.

 
Furthermore, seeing these women using their sexuality as a good thing, as a weapon of their own, to fight their fight against innercity crime and unnecessary death, really hit home. I’m personally tired of seeing women’s sexuality, particularly that of black women, being viewed as this horrible thing that should never be discussed or expressed, and it was refreshing to see another spin put on it in this film. Overall, I love that topics that are very near and dear to my heart were seen in this interesting adaptation of a play from thousands of years ago.