Black Excellence: The "Sinners" Movie and the 2025 MET Gala
They will NOT diminish or erase us!
Issue #855 The Choice, Tuesday, May 13, 2025
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As we all know by now, Trump and members of his administration, since “day one,” have worked hard to erase everything currently happening in the United States and in American history not done by straight Christian white males. They have used their definition of DEI to erase everything that had to do with Black people, women, LGBTQ people, and all other non-white people and men.
Their latest initiative was to fire the first woman and the first black person to be the librarian of the Library of Congress and the head of its copyright division. The very excuse, full of lies, as usual, was that the librarian used DEI in her work and put in books unsuitable for the children's library. Of course, since the Library of Congress was founded, it records all books ever published in the United States and, in the end, sometimes in the world to have as part of its library, and it is not a library where you can check out books. It is a Research library. Also, the only way you can get a copyright for a book is to submit the book to the Library of Congress. Even worse than firing the librarian of Congress, Trump tried to install one of the attorneys who worked on the January 6 trial as the top librarian in the country.
However, we will not be erased. Two huge examples of Black excellence have emerged in the last couple of months. No matter how hard they try, white people cannot erase the success of the number one movie since its April release, the “Sinners” movie, directed by and produced by Ryan Coogler, and the 2025 MET Gala, the most successful fundraiser in MET history.
"Sinners," directed by Ryan Coogler, is a music-infused horror film set in 1932 Mississippi. The movie follows twin brothers, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), who return to their hometown after serving in the Great War and being a part of various Mafia-type groups in Chicago to open a juke joint. They soon discover a supernatural evil that threatens their new lives and the local community, exploring themes of freedom, sin, and the Black experience in America.
"Sinners" highlights the importance of the Black community and its culture, particularly blues music, which is both a source of strength and a target for white appropriation. The film uses the juke joint to symbolize the Black community and a space where music and history unite. The white vampires, who are also musicians, represent the threat of cultural appropriation, seeking to exploit the music without understanding its roots.
The film is deeply rooted in the history of the American South, specifically the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws. The characters' struggles and the supernatural elements are presented to explore the ongoing impact of racial inequality and oppression.
"Sinners" has been a major box office success, exceeding $287.1 million worldwide by May 12, 2025. It's grossed $217.8 million in the US and Canada and $69.3 million in other territories. The film's opening weekend was particularly strong, with a domestic gross of $45.6 million, marking the biggest debut for an original film since 2019. "Sinners" is also the first film of 2025 to have a shot at reaching $1 billion worldwide.
The MET Gala, officially known as the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. The event marks the opening of the Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit. Established in 1948 by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, the MET Gala has become one of the most high-profile and significant global fashion events.
The purpose of the MET Gala extends beyond being a mere fashion event; it serves as a major fundraising occasion for the Costume Institute. These funds support the institute's exhibitions, acquisitions, and capital improvements. Over the years, under the leadership of figures like Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, the Gala has grown tremendously in prominence and scale.
Originally designed to encourage donations from New York's high society, the MET Gala now attracts many A-list celebrities, fashion designers, and influential figures from various industries. Each year, the event revolves around a specific theme inspired by the Costume Institute's exhibition, guiding attendees' attire and often sparking widespread media attention and public interest.
The Met Gala 2025's theme was "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which explored the cultural and historical significance of Black dandyism and its role in shaping Black identities. This theme was inspired by the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition of the same name. This year’s gala also paid homage to the late Andre Leon Tally, a Black global fashion icon and former editor at Vogue and other international fashion magazines. This year’s MET Gala, featuring Black history and Black fashion talent, raised the most money in its fundraising history.
Despite all of the efforts by Trump and the MAGAs to discredit, downplay, and/or completely erase the accomplishments of Black and other non-white Americans:
The “Sinners” movie had the biggest debut for an original film since 2019, and is also the first film of 2025 to have a shot at reaching $1 billion worldwide, and
This year’s MET Gala, featuring Black history and Black fashion talent, raised the most money in its fundraising history.
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They could never erase us! They Hate us coz they ain’t us!!! Everything we’ve ever done they mimicked except what’s going on in Washington right now! Racist Asswipes!!!
Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" was awesome! Seen it 3 times (twice in IMAX) and it's just the type of film that inspired, celebrated, REJOICED the black creatives in film and the fandom/culture, but also PISSED OFF the current 'Rump Regime's blatant Jim Crow 2.0 actions of the last 100 Days as we fight back 'Rump's Project 2025 Christian White Nationalist takeover plan. Just a fantastic layered work in a genre horror film, about family bonds, finding your own version of faith, fighting oppression while being aware of assimilation (via both fear and religion), the history of American Slavery & American Immigration, and celebrating all the generations of black music has brought to the world.
We needed this now, just like Jordan Peele's fantastic "Get Out" in 2016 right before Rump's 1st attempt to be the First American Dick-tator.