Kinda Disappointed

I don't know if it's the Olympics or what, but I am sadly disappointed at what is available this year for Black History month stories. Truly, I know we all wish that there were no need for such a thing. I have Scottish blood in me, and there is no "Scotch History Month". However, I do enjoy hearing the great biographies of those historical figures who shaped the rights and privileges that brought African Americans (AA) to where they are today.

I am not finding programming on PBS that I normally see. I can totally recommend the movie "Blind Side". I haven't seen it, but if it is at all close to the true story I have read, you must be prepared to cry.

So while I have been MIA, and wondering what to blog about, I got a nice message from one of my reader's, Hutch. Here is one of his recommendations for good movies honoring African American's for whom we owe a huge thanks. Their pioneering efforts brought all of us things today that we take for granted. Here is Hutch's message to me:

"S and I saw a movie the other night that you and M should watch. Normally, I'm no so forth-right with my movie suggestions, but I think in this case, it's appropriate, especially with this being Black History month. It's called "Something the Lord Made." It's not a "Christian" film by any means, the title just comes from a line by one of the main characters. We scored the movie from the public library, so you might be able to do the same. The two main actors are Alan Rickman and Mos Def. It's quality acting.

It's the story of Dr. Blalock and Vivien Thomas, the two men who invented and performed (in the 1940s) the first surgical fix for the congenital heart defect, Tetralogy of Fallot (what our oldest girl was born with). Only the kicker is that Blalock was white and Thomas was black. So for a long time, only Blalock and other doctors got credit. Anyway, interesting story for us because of the medical side (and given Lizzie's history, I wept like a school girl... but that's beside the point)... but after watching it I thought of you and Mike. The story of Vivien Thomas is one that I think your boys might like (he went on to write an autobiography later in life... it's now on my wish list).

Anywho, long message short, I recommend the film to you and Mike. It's not for your boys since there is some *choice* language, but I really think you would enjoy it."


There you have it. I have rearranged my Netflix queue.