"You can't run from what's haunting you inside. The visuals symbolize our ancestors running from slavery in the antebellum South, which parallels modern depictions of African Americans running from cops, opps or other oppressive forces. A spiritual journey in both senses, the film's opening sequence shows Clark falling mid-stride, establishing one of the morals of the film as a whole."
"Before the boy hits the door the mother says, 'Heart on lion.' Holding a brown lunch bag and wearing a big black jacket, the boy replies, 'Mind on humble.' The two conclude the affirmation in unison, 'Rumble, blackbird rumble.' That call-and-response is something Clark and his wife, lyricist Marjé, came up with, inspired by Muhammad Ali's famous 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee' quote."
A new film debuting February 26 at El Cerrito High School employs poetic storytelling, archival footage, and interviews with community advocates to examine themes of ancestral trauma and personal resilience. The narrative opens with imagery of running through woods and urban streets, symbolizing both historical escape from slavery and modern flight from oppressive forces. A central moral emphasizes that internal struggles cannot be outrun. The film features interactions between family members, including a mother-son exchange built around affirmations inspired by Muhammad Ali's famous boxing phrase. These affirmations—"Heart on lion, mind on humble, rumble blackbird rumble"—serve as spiritual mantras guiding the characters through their journeys.
#spiritual-storytelling #african-american-narratives #ancestral-trauma #community-resilience #poetic-cinema
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