Reflections on the film, "Defiance"

Honoring the Defiant
by: Sonjanita L. Moore

Defiance…
A word that on its surface seems to hold a negative connotation
That invokes thoughts of rambunctious children of weary parents
Now takes on a different meaning –
A means of survival, of living, of thriving
Of beating the odds stacked against you like bricks
A bold offensive against a towering enemy
A vehicle into the eternal walls of collective memory
I, here, invoke the name as the ancient elders of an African village would do…
BIELSKI
My African ancestors would’ve immortalized them in the griot’s song
My indigenous fathers would have asked the 4 winds to bless their movements
My generation would pour out libations in their honor
We would create colorful “burners” on city wall that would become a visual representation of their struggle – graffiti for the great
Ancient Kemites would chisel their names in immortal glyphs on pyramid walls
Shakespeare would compose sonnets that live longer than any monuments that men could build
Their defiance defied the laws of man but upheld the laws of God
To live on in the face of adversity is the highest reflection of faith
May we all be strong enough to face life’s tests with such dignity and grace.