RIFLE RANGE BOY: Winter Soldier

The Falcon and Winter Soldier (Miniseries, E1-6; 2021)
Marvel Cinematic Universe

Just how long did it take for a person to stay in a country for him to be accepted by his fellow countrymen to be one of them? Human beings are innately racists. For a long time, they have generally felt safe being amongst their own kind who share the same sentiments and values. Perhaps it is something that they have not been able to shed off from their tenure as dwellers of the caves. In those days (even now, of course), Nature has been quite harsh for things to be left for granted. The vulnerability of exposure to the elements of Earth made us suspicious of everything. The last thing they want to be is to end up as a meal for others.

So, it is human nature to look upon the other who looks different from them and be wary of their intention. But we also have developed a sense of awareness that teaches good values and conducts. Are these mere decorative motifs to fill books and scriptures?

'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' takes off from 'The Avengers: End Game' when Captain America (Steve Rogers) handed his mantle to Sam Wilson after 'The Blip'. Sam, feeling inadequate, donates Captain America's shield to the Museum. The real reason for his non-acceptance is that he thinks that America is not ready for a Black Captain America. He leads a life as The Falcon. When trouble starts with a group of serum enhanced anti-patriotism soldiers, Captain America's shield is gifted to an ill-prepared John Walker.

The rest of the story tells how The Falcon teams up with The Winter Soldier to overpower the anti-patriotism group, taking the shield from John Walker to become the new Captain America, puts the names of former black soldiers who sacrificed for the USA in the annals of military hero list. The whole show is basically a social commentary that reminds us that America is neither white nor black, but it comprises a potpourri of colours and shades.

That brings us to our country, Malaysia. Modern Malaya skyrocketed to international fame in the early and mid 20th century in trade, commerce and sports. This happened primarily because of the hard work of various ethnic groups who landed here by choice or by fate. The euphoria of Independence and self-rule propelled them to even greater heights. We were labelled as the emerging 'Tiger of Asia'. The tiger, however, had its developmental milestones stunted by the works of bigoted zealots who were hellbent on purging the country of its people who were not of their selected ethnicity and religion.

They know we grow in unity but in their blinkered eyes, but it seems that blind faith blinded them. In the meantime, we are spiralling down the ladder of hopelessness and ponder upon the possibility of becoming a 'basket case'. The pandemic is our wake up call.

Going back to the story of a black being Captain America, my friends and I had invested in hours of discussion on the above subject. On the one hand, the great divide is attributed to repetitive restrictive laws and social constructs that segregate and suppress a race the already had a checked start from the starting line. They were enslaved and systematically oppressed over generations leaving scars that left a trans-generational dent in their psyche. Opposition to this type of argument is that 150 years after their emancipation in 1865 is a long time for the oppressed to pull themselves up by the bootstrap. American history has its fair share of black success stories as well. Many black millionaires, entrepreneurs, and many musicians of the Harlem renaissance re-engineered songwriting and music appreciation. One or two success stories are here for perusal...

Harry Pace (1884-1943)
Founder of Black Swans Records and Northeastern Life Assurance Company.

Georgia born, orphaned and passed out as a white to live in a white-dominated housing area under the Jim Crow laws. In his later years obtained a law degree to have a legal practice.

Roland Hayes (1887-1977)

Started singing in his early teenage years in church choirs. After singing in troops, he finally picked the courage to have his own musical recital of classical European music at a time when black music was limited to minstrelsy and getting a sponsor was impossible. Using his good office at the church and kind sponsors, he rented a whole hall for this purpose. His popularity soared. He soon performed in many major US cities. He later performed in London for the British royalty. His magnum opus must be performing Schubert's piece in Berlin in 1924 in front of a jeering German crowd. This was after WW1 when the Germans were unhappy with placing black American soldiers in Germany. There was pin-drop silence once he started singing.