Filmmakers Matthew Nelson & Charles H.F. Davis Of The Activist Millenials Project Examine The Other Side Of Patriotism & The Effects Of Gun Violence On Black Men In The Short Entitled 'American Matthew.'
Artist Matthew Nelson and Filmmaker Charles H.F. Davis III of the Activist Millenials Project present American Matthew - an original short examining the other side of patriotism and the effects of gun violence on black men in the United States. The film premiered this past Sunday on the one-year anniversary of the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the man accused of murdering unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Chronicling Nelson's creation of a bold piece entitled The Other Side of Patriotism, the clip clocks in just below the 7-minute mark and features commentary from the artist about the events that prompted his reinterpretation of the stars and stripes, the names written on the flag and his personal feelings about patriotism. The stirring roll-call that opens the film is punctuated by the acrid and equally painful production from Kanye West's Yeezus LP standout "Blood On The Leaves." The stream of consciousness carrying the film is dense with the audacity that often portends rebellion and plays like a continuation of the conversation begun by James Baldwin's 1963 Time Magazine quote, “To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage.” Nelson delivers the piece with a heartfelt note on the experience:
“It has been a painful, yet beautiful journey, and I can only hope that we can, at least, further the discussion and shed more light on the vile nature of these crimes against our [Black] men and at most affect positive change and honor the legacies of those lost for no other reason than the source of so much of their greatness.”
Check the footage below to watch the Activist Millenials short American Matthew. Pour a little out for Trayvon Martin and all of the other young men of color targeted and killed in the U.S. Learn more about the film and the project via activistmillenials.com. Stay tuned for more from Matthew Nelson and Charles H.F. Davis III.
