This weekend I watched the movie "Fruitvale Station" on-demand. The movie tells the true story of a day in the life of Oscar Grant, a young black man from Oakland. The title is taken from the name of a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stop in the Bay Area where Oscar is shot by BART police. That shooting made headlines in 2009, and it sparked outrage and protests in the Bay Area and beyond.
The movie's power comes from telling the story objectively and uncompromisingly. Oscar is no saint. However, he is no common thug either. He is a father, boyfriend, son, unemployed grocery store clerk, ex-con, ex-drug dealer. That he is also deeply torn and aware of the need for change in his life made this movie and Oscar's story all the more compelling.
After the tragic shooting of another young black man, Trayvon Martin, President Obama spoke about the cruelty of fate and our society. President Obama said that he could have been Trayvon Martin who was gunned down for looking suspicious and for being black. More importantly and sadly, many observers pointed out that the young Trayvon Martin could have been president like Mr. Obama if only he had lived.
Life is until further notice.
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