On December 3rd, “Say Her Name : The Life and Death of Sandra Bland” will premiere on HBO Go and Now at 10pm. We all know the Sandra Bland story as we refreshed our timelines constantly to see the latest updates and puzzle pieces to the mystery that still has yet to be solved. This documentary will either succeed greatly or fail miserably and there is no need to sugarcoat why… the director and producer are white.
Kate Davis and her husband, David Heilbroner, are not new to the documentary life, especially in subject matter pertaining to black people. They were nominated for a 2018 Academy award for their short film “Traffic Stop” involving a black person being pulled over for a traffic stop that resulted in an arrest. Even though this may give the husband and wife duo brownie points and “wisdom” because they’ve already created a work about another big issue in the black community, folks aren’t trusting them with telling a story that still has yet to be solved.
Some are still searching for the relevance behind sharing this story, especially because it seems as though the justice system is still searching or actually given up on the search on discovering what really happened to this woman.
The sincerity of these people telling Bland’s story also comes into play. Are they simply capitalizing off the raw emotions from the family members or do they actually empathize with their pain and sorrows?
Family, this is why we need black journalists and film directors telling our stories. No longer can we allow those who do not directly know what it feels like to be Black in America tell our stories. We cannot give the power of the pen to those who can so easily re-write our stories and not properly display the truths and ideals that are woven into the patchwork of our culture.
If you chose to watch this documentary, watch it a few times. First, hear and understand the story. Second, examine how interviews are clipped and what parts are displayed. Pay attention to all angles presented and catch anything that doesn’t sit well with you. Take notes and be ready to write the rest of our stories.
