Antwone Fisher

Antwone Fisher

For my black history cultural event, I watched the movie Antwone Fisher, a true story about a black naval officer in the 1990's with a troubling past forced to deal with it when it starts to catch up with him when he is harassed in the Navy. As a young boy, he traveled from place to place, many times alone because of the death of his father and his mother being thrown in jail. His orphanage parents treated him like an animal and referred to him as Ni***r. His best friend Jesse was constantly kept away from him and when Antwone finally left his home to live on his own, Jesse was killed while trying to rob a grocery store. On to the Navy went Antwone, being black it was a little difficult. Many of the white officers teased him because he wasn't the same as them; he hadn't lost his virginity or even met a girl, which the other cadets thought were very intriguing. Fisher was also a hot head, and constantly got into fights, putting him into restriction and the psych ward. Finally he met with the Naval Psychologist, who probably has the biggest impact on Fisher. The psychologist forces him to overcome his fears, making perhaps much stronger. He connected with the doctor and eventually found a girlfriend, became a navy leader and found his long lost family.

Based on Kezirian's chapter, Fisher would have most likely been characterized as a resistance figure, and this a resistance movement. A resistance fighter is one that fights back, which Fisher was known for. Also they are not the childish, all smiles people that they look like from the outside. Don't judge a book by its cover. Fisher was a loose cannon just waiting to explode. Numerous times it took just a word to set him off; he would get into fights during shower time, and while cleaning the deck. No matter whom the person, he wouldn't hesitate to throw the first punch. As defined by Kezirian, Fisher was a rebel to say the least. He was different in every way, his past was different; his lifestyle was different; and his attitude was different. He knew it, and so did everyone else. This made him more of a fighter or rebel because he couldn't share anything in common with any of the other cadets, which made him kind of an outcast. People thought it was necessary to pick on Fisher because he was different.

This story is significant to me and the community because of a few reasons. First of all, I have relatives in the navy and future cadets that I know. Also, I think that with the subject that we are on now, that of black history, I think that it is relative to any of the stories that we have heard of and are continuing to listen to. I think that it is relative to the Conard community because many of the Conard students may share things in common with his story. Many of the students at Conard have been harassed or teased, maybe not because of their skin color but probably because of something they did.

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