Always In Season

Always In Season is a poignant documentary that premiered in 2019 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Moral Urgency. Directed by Jacqueline Olive, this thought-provoking film features William J. Barber II, Danny Glover, and Sherrilyn Ifill among other key figures. It explores the distressing history of racial terrorism in the United States, particularly examining the legacy of lynching in the country.

The film follows the life of Claudia Lacy, a mother in Bladenboro, North Carolina, who seeks answers and justice for the brutal death of her 17-year-old son Lennon Lacy in 2014. The mystery surrounding Lennon’s death, which was swiftly deemed a suicide by the local police, doesn’t add up considering Lennon’s diverse and promising future. Encasing even more suspicion over the case, traces parallel more profound historic patterns of racial violence and lynching across America.

By juxtaposing Lennon’s case with grim accounts of historical lynchings, Always In Season paints a heart-wrenching portrait of a contemporary problem with deep historical roots. The film seamlessly weaves together narratives from different time periods and locations, taking viewers from the infamous 1946 Moore’s Ford lynching in Georgia, to the yearly lynching reenactments performed by locals in Monroe, Georgia, to haunted sites of racial terrorist acts across Mississippi, Florida, and North Carolina.

What makes this documentary unique is that it not only presents the verity of these horrendous incidents, but it also impartially explores the sociopolitical landscape that, to this day, allows such racial violence to persevere elliptically. Danny Glover serves as one of the producers of the film and his legendary presence further intensifies the film’s serious message. Civil rights activist William J. Barber II provides his analytic and historical perspective adding more depth to the narrative.

The film does not shy away from challenging our perception of these mournful events and insists on turning our wary eye to this neglected iota of American history. Always In Season asserts that the open acknowledgment of these terrible acts of racial terror is vital to reconciliation and that these stories need telling, however difficult they may be.

Revolving around communities all around the country who have taken it upon themselves to acknowledge, memorialize, and reconcile with past perpetrated racial terrorism, the film exposes how such recognition assists in healing and potential prevention of recurrence of such atrocities in the future. Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, contributes her legal perspective on racial justice issues addressed throughout the documentary.

Always in Season is more than just a documentary; it's a call to action. Its underlying tenet contemplates that it is never too late for justice— justice is 'always in season.' Ultimately, this resonates with Claudia Lacy’s relentless pursuit of justice for her son Lennon. The ordeal of her resilient journey serves as an emblem of countless others who have suffered similar contemptible fates.

Considering the current racial climate, Olive’s Always In Season is a disturbing mirror of our times. Groups, families, and communities are still grappling with the residues of these lynching occurrences while continuing to fight against the persistent thread of racial violence in modern America. The lasting power of the film comes in its ability to render visible this violent act that has often been elided or dismissed from American consciousness.

Danny Glover, an iconic actor known for his passion for justice and equality, serves as a compelling voice in the narration. He, along with William J. Barber II, Sherrilyn Ifill, and many others, lend their influential perspectives on the topic. Barber’s insights as a civil rights activist offer a unique perspective, while Ifill, as the President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, provides a powerful assessment of the racial justice issues presented throughout the film.

Anchoring itself in the deep history and personal narratives around the lynching, Always In Season compels viewers to confront the painful past and question what has changed and what hasn't in today's society. It's a potent documentary that speaks volumes about our history, our present, and where we go from here. It forces us to ask ourselves what we will tolerate, what we will stand up against, and how we will remember our past. Moreover, it questions the nation's accountability and the seemingly unending plight of racism.