School Daze: Then and Now

Spike Lee released his second feature film, School Daze, February 12, 1988. This musical comedy attempts to expose the issues surrounding the division of young Blacks on HBCU campuses. Spike brings up two big issues in the film, light skin v. dark skin and the informed(radical) Black v. the "fun loving floater". Massive conflicts masked by singing, dancing, and stepping are thrown in the faces of audiences. In true Spike Lee fashion (or at least during this time) he talked about what the community wanted to keep under wraps.

Before I give my thoughts I have to lay down some background information. I'm only 20 years old and I was born in December at the tail end of the year this movie was released. I'd like to discuss the impact the movie had and how the masses took in the direct addressing of the issues but I don't even think my mom was pregnant with me yet. I can't speak much to the issues that Spike felt inclined to address about the state of HBCUs and Black Greek life. However, for my generation, the question that arises when School Daze comes up is "Has anything changed?". Honestly, I don't know. I attend Hampton University. On this HBCU campus, I don't believe that skin color is still an issue, at least not among Black people. I can't lie. I have been in classes where some of my colleagues would beg to differ and I have noticed the lighter hue of certain cheerleaders and flag girls. However, I think that skin tone is more of a coincidence now and the true conflict is hair texture. Among my generation, you can have a different hairstyle every day if you choose. Natural hair has definitely been an ongoing trend and it creates a rift between those who follow the trend and those who choose to take advantage of what Madam C.J. Walker started all those years ago. As far as the movie's call for more Afro-centric educated Black students, for my generation, the two most prominient life impacting events were 9/11 and Obama. I say all of this to say that the college kids of then and the ones now are living in two separate times, experiencing completely different things but that does not mean that the issues (either the same or with a new face) are not still in existence to some extent. I will lend myself to the possiblity that the same skin tone issues do still exist but my generation has found a new way to exploit it. I wonder if Spike Lee were asked to remake School Daze now (20 years later) what his take on HBCU life would now? Will he, or any other filmmaker, be able to see what I may not as a college student? Would Dap's anti-apartheid demonstrations be replaced with "Pull out of Iraq" rallies? Would he even think that this generation partakes in things of that caliber anymore? (I'm not completely sure.) Wishful thinking maybe but I don't think it's a bad idea to let the past catch up.
School Daze accomplished a lot for those it was meant to impact of that time. For those who came along later and viewed it, it freezed an aspect of life in time for us to go back and compare our own world to. If an HBCU wants to bring any significance to those University 101 classes then they should show School Daze. Despite how long ago it was, it still changes how you view the things around you.

Love Jones: We've All Been There

In the podcast about 1997 film Love Jones, Randy Bandit and Phill Boogie weighed in on the plot and outcome of the film, taking different stances. Randy Bandit had a good point when he mentioned that he does not like the film and can't understand what draws people in (much like the sometimes blind following behind Scarface. Some people just enjoy the ride on the bandwagon). However, I have to side with Phill Boogie on this one. Love Jones is a timeless Black romance mainly because somebody somewhere has either been in that kind of relationship, driven by passion and stumbling over the real issues, or known someone in that kind of relationship, or listened to their mom on the phone telling somebody about "so and so" down the street's relationship.

Phill Boogie made an interesting point during the discussion when he said he felt this movie was about flawed people. The fact that Nina (Nia Long) made so many bad decisions (the timeless "chase me" games, sleeping with his best friend, getting back with her ex, etc.) and Darius (Larenz Tate), in so many words, went along with it is what shapes the major conflict in the film. Whether it be film or literature, isn't there always going to be a character (or actual person) somewhere who can become so blinded by the feeling of love (and lust) that they ignore the obvious flaws of their partner and the relationship? And what woman hasn't listened to her girlfriends telling her what to do about her man? I mean really. But I digress. Back to my point. It's a little cliche for a good Black movie to have a good soundtrack but hey this one happens to follow suit. I think based on what Phill Boogie and Randy Bandit said about the flaws of the characters (mainly Nina. I get it guys. She's a cruddy B lol.), the song "Hopeless" by Dionne Farris sums up the relationship with Darius and Nina pretty well. "They say I'm hopeless, as a penny with a hole in it. They say I'm no less than up to my head in it." Darius and Nina were both stuck in their ways and not willing to change any time soon. They did not want to compromise and sometimes it seemed like the only thing they agreed on was the sex. Yes, they were in love (to some degree) but in reality it was hopeless. They were hopelessly in love (or lust depending on how you look at it and certain scenes. I mean he did get it in with no problems on the first date).

At the end of the day, hey it's a good movie and I don't care how crudy Nina went on Darius, it made for a good movie with a different perspective on love, young misguided love, and the problems that can arise. Love Jones is just hard to deny.