This past weekend, the I Love Us team had the opportunity to preview a powerful new short film, Spare Me, which premieres today as the newest episode of AfroPoP Digital Shorts on Black Public Media’s YouTube channel. The film offers a chilling reminder of the dangers that Black travelers faced in America’s not-so-distant past – dangers that still linger in some parts of the country today.

Spare Me tells the story of Trey, a young man whose car breaks down in 1930s Sarasota, Florida. As he struggles to fix his tire, he realizes with growing dread that he’s in a sundown town – a place where Black people were not welcome after dark. The film, written and directed by Wilderley Mauricette, expertly weaves together the tension of Trey’s immediate predicament with haunting memories of a past trauma, creating a truly gripping narrative.

This isn’t the first time Black Public Media has shone a light on the dangers of sundown towns. In October, we shared M. Asli Dukan’s Sundown Road with our I Love Us audience, a film that explored the modern-day realities of driving while Black. While Sundown Road tackled the issue in a contemporary setting, Spare Me provides a historical context, reminding us that the fear of sundown towns was once a pervasive part of Black life in America.

For those unfamiliar with the term, sundown towns were communities that used laws, intimidation, and violence to keep Black people out after sunset. These towns were prevalent throughout the United States, particularly in the South and Midwest. While the overt racism of sundown towns has largely faded, the legacy of these places continues to haunt us. Many of these communities still struggle with racial inequality and implicit bias.

In fact, some sundown towns may still exist today in more subtle forms. Research by sociologist James Loewen suggests that certain towns exhibit characteristics that indicate a possible sundown past. These characteristics include a lack of diversity, a history of racial exclusion, and a lingering sense of hostility towards Black residents or visitors.

Though the topic of the film is heavy, what we love is how it showcases a paternal figure teaching a universal lesson of manhood – how to change a tire – within the scope of a very Black American experience. It’s a reminder of the constant need for preparedness, echoing the familiar refrain in many Black communities to always have an escape plan, extra supplies, or the means to handle situations independently. Even in 2024, these conversations are still a necessity. Where our counterparts of other races may just have to teach how to change a tire, we’re also teaching what to do if stopped by the police. We’re not just teaching our Black kids “the birds and the bees” along with consent; we’re making sure they understand how wrong things can go if they can’t prove they had consent. Spare Me drives home the painful reality that for Black children, growing up means navigating a world with unique and often unfair dangers, requiring a different kind of preparation for life.

The film serves as a reminder of this dark chapter in American history and prompts us to confront its lingering effects. We encourage our I Love Us audience to watch the film and to engage in conversations about the ongoing struggle for racial justice in our country.

You can watch Spare Me here, or on Black Public Media’s YouTube page :

Cover photo: Exploring the Impact of Sundown Towns in Black Public Media’s ‘Spare Me’ / Credit: Kristoffer Jorns