The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

I was just getting in yesterday from taking care of a few errands and like many down times I plopped on the couch to see what was on television. While going through the guide I saw it:”A RAISIN IN THE SUN”. I capitalized it here because that is how it stuck out to me amongst all the other useless programs surrounding it. Just before I was getting ready to record it (this is one of the movies I’ve been trying to record for about a year now), my hopes were dashed because I just realized I missed about 40 minutes of the movie. Dangit!

This movie tells the story about a Black family in the late 50′s/early 60′s who have just come in to a lot of money thanks to the life insurance policy of Walter Lee’s now deceased father (Walter Lee is played by Sidney Poitier). While the rest of the family is eager to use the money to move out of their current apartment into an actual house, Walter Lee wants to use the money as an “investment” in a liquor store where he was promised to make a huge return. Well, I’ll try not give away too much of the film if you have not seen it. But if you want to know the rest of the story, go rent it or but it somewhere .

I thought that Poitier (and the rest of the cast) acted his butt off in the film because he captured the struggles of any man who is trying to do what is best for his family–no matter how crazy it appears at times. Walter Lee’s statement “I’m a volcano. I’m a giant, and I’m surrounded by ants. Ants who don’t even know what I’m talking about. How’s that?” captured the essence of the struggle many men feel when they want to do better for themselves, but are surrounded by the status quo crowd. The following is a dialog between Walter Lee’s sister, Beneatha and their mother. Tired of Walter Lee’s carelessness with the money, Beneatha begins to vent to their mother:

Beneatha: That’s not a man. That’s nothing but a toothless rat.

Momma: Death’s done come in this house.

Momma:Done come walking in my house…

Momma:…on the lips of my children.

Momma:You were…

Momma:…what’s supposed to be my beginning again.

Momma:You were…

Momma:…what’s supposed to be my harvest.

Momma:How did we get to this here place?

Momma:You! Mourning your brother!

Beneatha: He’s no brother of mine. – What?

Beneatha:That individual, from this day on, is no brother of mine!

Momma:That’s what I thought you said.

Momma:You feeling like you’re better than he is today?

Momma:What did you tell him a minute ago? That he wasn’t a man?

Beneatha:You give him up for me?

Momma:You done wrote his epitaph too, like the rest of the world?

Momma:Who give you the privilege?

Beneatha:Will you be on my side for once?

Beneatha:You saw what he did. You saw him down there on his knees.

Beneatha:Didn’t you teach me to despise any man who would do that…

Beneatha:…who would do what he’s going to do?

Momma:I taught you that.

Momma:Me and your daddy.

Momma:But I thought I taught you something else too.

Momma:I thought I taught you to love him.

Beneatha:Love him? There’s nothing left to love.

Momma:There’s always something left to love.

Momma:Have you cried for that boy today?

Momma:Not for yourself and the family because we lost the money.

Momma:I mean for him.

Momma:And what he’s gone through.

Momma:And God help him.

Momma:God help him, what it’s done to him.

Momma:Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most?

Momma:When he’s done good and made things easy for everybody?

Momma:That ain’t the time at all.

Momma:It’s when he’s at his lowest…

Momma:…and he can’t believe in himself because the world’s whipped him so!

Momma:When you starts measuring somebody…

Momma:…measure him right, child.

Momma:Measure him right.

Momma:You make sure that you done taken into account…

Momma:…the hills and the valleys he’s come through…

Momma:…to get to wherever he is.

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While I may be hard on my brothas when they abandon their responsibilities, I have the sense enough not to toss all of us in the blame bucket. This movie reminds me of that. While at times in this film I felt as though Walter Lee’s mom was involving herself too much in his marital affairs, her challenge to him towards the end of this film to be a man and take charge of the family’s destiny was dead on! The part that gets me every time is when he is doing this in front of his son (acknowledging the fact that his actions can and will affect future generations).

Measure him right!

This is why at times I sometimes get a little ticked off at some of the ladies out there who spend most of their time complaining about how there are not enough “good men” out there. While there may be some truth to that belief, it is also true that there are good men out there. Sometimes you have to be willing to get off of your high horse, put away your imbalanced scales that define what a “good man” is and be willing to look for your diamond in the rough instead of a jewelry store. Perhaps I’ll talk more about that in a later post.

Anyway, this is a great movie to check out if you have not seen it. If you have seen it already, think about checking out this rare classic again with some brothas.