Caught Up In Sorrow

*Caught Up In Sorrow* is based on the track ‘EMOTIONS’ by The Brothers Gibb(bee gees) recreated by DC.

That song has always evoked compressed emotions that needed attention.
So when writing this film, I wanted to address the plight of brokenness in black families, which has been centered around ungovernable realities - with white supremacy being at fault.
These factors are out of our control, and have brought about structural distortion for generations in our communities.

Poverty goes back to slave owners refusing to pay black people who they benefited from through free labor.
That lasted well into segregation with discrimination from employers. White men with criminal records were more likely to get jobs before a black man without a record.
Also, most jobs weren’t even accessible to blacks to begin with. This was a huge effect of the breakdown of black families. Black Women weren’t accepting of men without leadership even though we were all apart of the great design.

Being “free” in America meant having communities created for us to be packed up, together.
Then, Welfare was thrown in our faces, excluding our men unless he provided for the whole family.
But racism stalled that.
We had to receive the gov’t handout. Especially because, post-slavery, many American descendants of slavery couldn’t read or write as those who were able to runaway in search of education, or those who benefited from plantation houses with book access.
Welfare caused a whole new level of the breakdown.
Our men couldn’t be on the lease, so he mentally felt out of place as a leader & provider. So he hunts.
They placed drugs in those cities at large, and the consequences of it meant a further collapse.
Blacks couldn’t move into “manageable” neighborhoods even if they had the money.
They’d be turned away from realtors or ran out by the neighbors - back to inner cities.
Drugs. Violence. One parent homes.
Without work, people robbed to provide. They hustled the drugs right in the community. So death, & prison.
Then there’s the drug laws within the criminal justice system & the harsh treatment against black men.
Those records resulted in them not getting back on their feet.
That mind f*** caused a cycle of unemployment, drug dealers, drug users, prisoners, homelessness. Teen pregnancy. Dropouts. Poor. Fatherless homes. Motherless homes. A number in the system.
So this trickles down to the children. Dysfunction. Desperation. Discrimination. Disassociation. Distortions.
All of this, and they blame us for not catching up. They laugh when we can’t. Rationalize their failure to correct their narcissism with excuses that we’re lazy.
And let’s be CLEAR!! There is nothing idle about a people who built a whole country for free in 400 years!

Oh, and They hate the ones (they classify as “good n***ers”) who are beyond their level of intelligence, skill & capital. But use them enough to bring that residual back into their hands, while still finding ways to make them feel less than.

These shameful tactics that were brought upon us to cause separation, gave me the idea to speak on behalf of women on the other side of that.
There are constant intense feelings sprouting through black women, whom at times - keep it together to not appear indignant.
We deal with it, we let it go.
We’re weak to it, or we accept it.
Our strength covers our pain to it, or we bury it.
We reject it, we’re vulnerable to it.
The IT is a combination of the disconnection & being held responsible at times because of it.
We experience these highs and lows empathetically.
How dare us attempt to be successful with loving families? When this goes directly against the design.
Bearing children that gets taken away, but have to nurse theirs.
Our husbands hung in our faces, and those same faces having to watch us be raped by owners who wouldn’t claim the kid they put in us.
Being fetishized by white women who in a blink of an eye could have you brutally killed while high off the fact that a white woman desires you to begin with… Hmph!

Centuries later, in our DNA lies a whirlwind of emotions and dysfunction. Not knowing how to GIVE love or receive it. Being programmed to see it, generationally.
The curses are being broken.
But the 'IT' is attached to us.
Our desire to save our men from themselves, or leave them dust. Understanding the origin of this behavior, yet holding him accountable.
But still, feeling bad. . . . it’s real!
GRACE is goal oriented. Inspired to grow. She have dreams & aspirations galore - but, can be held back if too invested in the maintenance of her relationship.
Grace is witty, personable, intelligent, charismatic, and full of life.
But none of that will be directly showcased here.
Here, we’ll experience the low vibrations carried out by an emotional Grace, who is annoyed, disgruntled & over it.

Enjoy my film.

Sierra Mercer