AspireTV Tackles Black HIStory with New Film

HIStory tells the story of eighth grader Trent (Caleb Lowery, pictured at top), who is sent to the principal's office for disrupting his social studies class. His father gets called in to speak with his white principal and teacher, who are exasperated by Trent's behavior and his perceived unwillingness to hew to the curriculum.

"I looked at it as an opportunity to educate, and I guess kind of give my take on the public-school system and my experience," Orange explained. "Here is a rebellious child who maybe has a point, but in this public-school setting and in the system, he can't really share his opinion."

Across the country, school districts are engaged in conversations about how to accurately portray the histories of people of color in their communities. Orange said these conversations are critical, and he hopes his film encourages more dialogue. He hopes schools will develop curricula that better reflect their communities, particularly social studies and history.

"How can we at least cater to these children and where they fit in in this American society and this country?" he asked. "It is very important to give children a sense of identity, instead of kind of just lumping us into this one big pot, even though America is a melting pot. We have very unique, distinct qualities that makes us individuals."

For instance, in the film, Trent's class learns about European settlers colonizing North America, but Trent wants to discuss African contributions to their exploration. He informs his principal and teacher that the Moors created an early navigational system based on the constellations, which later helped European explorers. The educators reprimand him for going off topic and question where he finds his information.

On screen, the white educators in the film deliver on the worst stereotypes and could make some viewers uncomfortable. That was necessary to deliver a powerful message, Orange said. "Making them so extreme, so opposite and for the system, created greater conflict for the story and was needed to present the larger issue at hand," he explained.

Where the public school in HIStory fails, Trent's father steps in to fill the gaps, teaching his son the history of his community and ancestors. He rebukes the principal and teacher, who are aptly named Mr. Whyte and Ms. Peeple, for calling him to the school and costing him two hours' worth of wages.

Orange said it is critical that parents help guide their children and stay involved in their education -- what they're learning and what they aren't. His own parents were very supportive, but they didn't teach him about Black history. He wished he had learned about the Moors, Egyptians and Ethiopians and their contributions to history. Learning about your ancestry and community, he said, gives children a sense of belonging and purpose.

"I hope that inspires conversation amongst parents, first and foremost, to take a little bit more responsibility for what their children are learning in the public-school system," he said. "I hope this film sparks conversations."

Orange originally wrote the script for a fellowship program for urban cable network TV One, and it was produced by independent screenwriting label Damn Write Originals.

A product of Miami-Dade Public Schools, Orange said he was fortunate to have several teachers who recognized his writing talents. After a career as a college athlete at Florida State University, Orange received a Master's in Fine Arts from Florida A&M and set his sights on screenwriting.

The film's title is a play on that notion of a broken system. Orange noted the "HIS" represents history developed by white people in positions of power and forced on people of color without their input. Another interpretation could be that Trent is sharing "HIS" story, rather than the one being fed to him by public schools.

"Identity is a theme of the film; knowing where you came from gives you a greater sense of who you are and where you're going," he said.

"They do a great job supporting independent film makers and independent screen writers," Orange said. "They provide us a platform and give us a lot of exposure."

In addition to its partnership with Damn Write Originals (DWO), AspireTV's Urban Indie Film Block (now in its fourth season) features the best of urban short films by up-and-coming Black filmmakers and presents passionate stories that touch upon a variety of themes and genres including romance, friendship, drama, human connection, comedy, action and sci-fi.

HIStoryis available to view on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Aspire.tv. Watch it here.

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