[Carrie Mae Weems: "Grace Notes: Reflections for Now"]
[WEEMS] You write something
not because you have the answer.
You write something because you know that
you need to work through it.
[MAN] Commemorating every black man
who lives to see twenty-one.
Commemorating...
[WOMAN] Trevon Martin.
[MAN] Michael Brown.
[WOMAN] Eric Garner.
[WEEMS] Well, what is this piece?
And then I thought, oh well, really
this piece is very much like Antigone, isn't it?
There are only, like, ten stories in the world
that we keep coming back to.
And I thought, this is really
the story of a woman--of a community--
that is trying to figure out how to
bury her brothers.
And they're denying her the right to do that.
Because they're denying that it has even happened.
Or that it warrants our attention.
And she’s saying, "I'm going to bury him,"
"I'm going to bury him right."
[WOMAN] The woman tells the people
that the bright light of history
is now shining down on them--
on you, on me,
exposed now.
All things are unavoidable.
In shame, some will turn away.
But the crime remains.
The age of innocence has passed
and we are now responsible
for our own future.
[WEEMS] The thing to me
that is remarkable about our history--
about who we are,
about how we have conducted ourselves
in the onslaught of history--
has been to maintain the core of our dignity.
Our ability to still sort of evoke and offer
and to give that generosity--
to share it with others--
is one of our greatest strengths.
And to me, that is really the ultimate call of grace.
[WOMAN, SINGING "AMAZING GRACE"]
♪ 'Twas grace that taught my soul to feel ♪
♪ and grace ♪
♪ my fears relieved. ♪
[WOMAN] But I think we don't often try to
make sure we are saving grace for ourselves.
We just give it all away.
Just forgive.
Why we always got to goddamn forgive so quick?
[WEEMS] Yes!
[WOMAN] I'm not saying we shouldn't forgive.
But why does it always got to be,
like, the mandate?
[WEEMS] That's right.
What about this self protection thing?
[WOMAN, SINGING "AMAZING GRACE"]
♪ ...did that grace appears... ♪
[WEEMS] It's like the contradiction of it all,
you know?
That yes, you give--
you're responsible--
but you must take care of yourself, you know?
But you can't only be selfish.
So you're constantly trying to figure out
where the balances are in your life
and in your work and in your love
so then you can move forward.
[WOMAN] I saw him running.
I saw him stop.
I saw him turn with raised hands.
I heard a shot.
I saw him fall.
[WOMEN, TOGETHER] For reasons unknown.
[WOMAN] Rejecting my own knowledge,
I deceived myself,
refusing to believe that this was possible.
How do you measure a life?
[CAST, TOGETHER] How do you measure a life?
An ode to life.
Every man, every woman
deserves to live the full length
of their natural lives.
--[WEEMS] You each have very unique voices
and very unique ways of articulating.
And I think that there's something about that,
that I don’t want to lose.
[WOMAN] I love, personally, that you want to know
who I am in it.
I just look forward to improvising, the three of us.
[WOMEN, SINGING]
♪ Trust. ♪
[WEEMS] I am deeply aware of the stress--
you know, the stress that's put on our community,
the stress that's put on black women,
the stress that's put on black men.
I mean it's not... it's not a play.
It's really, you know,
this battle.
[MAN, SHOUTING] 1-9-0-6!
[SOUND OF FEET STOMPING AND HAND CLAPPING]
[MAN, SHOUTING] A-PHI-A-STEP!
[SOUND OF FEET STOMPING AND HAND CLAPPING]
[WEEMS] As long as it's authentic.
If it comes from an authentic place
[CAST] Always stopped.
--[WEEMS] and concern,
[CAST] Always charged.
--[WEEMS] then you can't do any better than that.
You know, like I'm not making something because it's fun.
I'm not trying to figure out how to be entertaining.
[WOMEN TOGETHER] Some said, [WOMAN] "He can’t be helped."
[WOMEN TOGETHER] Some said, [WOMAN] "Try."
--[WEEMS] And so that gets you some place else,
you know, just sort of gets you to another
place and space of consideration and possibility.
[WOMAN #1] The numbers tell the story.
[WOMAN #2] She was 25.
[WOMAN #1] He was a father.
[WOMAN #3] He was 22.
[WOMAN #1] A brother.
[WOMAN #2] She was 31.
[ALL SPEAKING TOGETHER]
[WEEMS] If our audience
can leave with the sense of question--
that they have really engaged with something
deep for themselves;
and that they know that it's serious,
but there is still some glimmer;
and that they can wake up the next day and think about that--
then I'm alright.